[SOLVED] strange problem with millis()

[Moshe Livne]

It has been a long time but i am back... however, I must have lost it!

Millis now return 4 digits results and I can find the reason. It might be the update of the libraries the arduino IDE asked me to do. Anyways, here is the code:

#define MY_DEBUG
#define MY_RADIO_NRF24

#include <SPI.h>
#include <MySensors.h>                       // Mysensor network

void setup() {
  // put your setup code here, to run once:

}

void loop() {
    unsigned long now;

    Serial.println("entering loop");
    now=millis();
    Serial.print("now=");
    Serial.println((unsigned long)now);
      sleep(5000);


}

couldn't be simpler....

now the result:

x00
x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x00x000 MCO:BGN:INIT NODE,CP=RNNNA--,VER=2.1.1
3 TSM:INIT
4 TSF:WUR:MS=0
11 TSM:INIT:TSP OK
13 TSF:SID:OK,ID=28
14 TSM:FPAR
33 TSF:MSG:SEND,28-28-255-255,s=255,c=3,t=7,pt=0,l=0,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:
272 TSF:MSG:READ,0-0-28,s=255,c=3,t=8,pt=1,l=1,sg=0:0
277 TSF:MSG:FPAR OK,ID=0,D=1
2040 TSM:FPAR:OK
2041 TSM:ID
2042 TSM:ID:OK
2044 TSM:UPL
2046 TSF:MSG:SEND,28-28-0-0,s=255,c=3,t=24,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:1
2054 TSF:MSG:READ,0-0-28,s=255,c=3,t=25,pt=1,l=1,sg=0:1
2059 TSF:MSG:PONG RECV,HP=1
2061 TSM:UPL:OK
2063 TSM:READY:ID=28,PAR=0,DIS=1
2067 TSF:MSG:SEND,28-28-0-0,s=255,c=3,t=15,pt=6,l=2,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:0100
2073 TSF:MSG:READ,0-0-28,s=255,c=3,t=15,pt=6,l=2,sg=0:0100
2080 TSF:MSG:SEND,28-28-0-0,s=255,c=0,t=17,pt=0,l=5,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:2.1.1
2088 TSF:MSG:SEND,28-28-0-0,s=255,c=3,t=6,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:0
2095 TSF:MSG:READ,0-0-28,s=255,c=3,t=6,pt=0,l=1,sg=0:M
2100 MCO:REG:REQ
2103 TSF:MSG:SEND,28-28-0-0,s=255,c=3,t=26,pt=1,l=1,sg=0,ft=0,st=OK:2
2109 TSF:MSG:READ,0-0-28,s=255,c=3,t=27,pt=1,l=1,sg=0:1
2114 MCO:PIM:NODE REG=1
2116 MCO:BGN:STP
2118 MCO:BGN:INIT OK,TSP=1
entering loop
now=2120
2121 MCO:SLP:MS=5000,SMS=0,I1=255,M1=255,I2=255,M2=255
2127 MCO:SLP:TPD
2129 MCO:SLP:WUP=-1
entering loop
now=2131
2131 MCO:SLP:MS=5000,SMS=0,I1=255,M1=255,I2=255,M2=255
2138 MCO:SLP:TPD
2140 MCO:SLP:WUP=-1
entering loop
now=2142
2142 MCO:SLP:MS=5000,SMS=0,I1=255,M1=255,I2=255,M2=255
2148 MCO:SLP:TPD

I have been staring at this for the last two hours... Any help will be appreciated. I am sure it is something ultra stupid

Regards,
Moshe

[AWI]

@Moshe-Livne Maybe you slept for 2 hours? Try to define now as static or make it global. Now it is initialized every loop ..

[Moshe Livne]

@AWI as it should.... but - it should show a very long number.... not a 4 digit one. and not the same values each time i run the code.

this is a test code, just to show the problem. in the original code there was static var, etc and the difference was checked.

[AWI]

@Moshe-Livne You are right, I was too quick. . Another look: sleep() also sleeps the millis() timer. As the value only slowly increases it won't show more digits i the first hours..

[Moshe Livne]

@AWI Darn you are right!!!!! Thanks! Have been dealing with rpi and upwards lately so assumed it has some kind of internal clock.
Thanks again!