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  3. Saving three bytes of memory with this crazy loop structure..

Saving three bytes of memory with this crazy loop structure..

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  • YveauxY Yveaux

    @alowhum I guess that if your loop runs slower than once every 4ms you might miss the 1 second deadline.

    How about this?

    void loop()
    {
        static uint8_t first = 1;
        static uint8_t secsPrev;
        uint8_t secs = millis() / 1000;
        if (first or (secs != secsPrev))
        {
            // ... code that runs every second...
            secsPrev = secs;
        }
        first = 0;
    }
    

    For AVR:
    Flash: 602 bytes vs 634
    Ram: 12 bytes vs 10 (you beat me there ;-) )

    Or even, when timing doesn't need to be too accurate (2.4% slower):

    void loop()
    {
        static uint8_t first = 1;
        static uint8_t secsPrev;
        uint8_t secs = millis() >> 10;
        if (first or (secs != secsPrev))
        {
            // ... code that runs every second...
            secsPrev = secs;
        }
        first = 0;
    }
    

    For AVR:
    Flash: 526 bytes vs 634
    Ram: 12 bytes vs 10

    Can we go even lower? :muscle:

    mfalkviddM Offline
    mfalkviddM Offline
    mfalkvidd
    Mod
    wrote on last edited by
    #4

    @yveaux you could probably use the MSB of secsPrev for the "first" boolean and save a byte of ram?

    YveauxY 1 Reply Last reply
    1
    • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

      @yveaux you could probably use the MSB of secsPrev for the "first" boolean and save a byte of ram?

      YveauxY Offline
      YveauxY Offline
      Yveaux
      Mod
      wrote on last edited by
      #5

      @mfalkvidd

      void loop()
      {
          static int8_t secsPrev = -1;
          const int8_t secs = int8_t(millis() / 1000) & 0x7F;
          if ((secsPrev < 0) or (secs != secsPrev))
          {
              // ... code that runs every second...
              secsPrev = secs;
          }
      }
      

      For AVR:
      Flash: 595 bytes vs 634
      Ram: 11 bytes vs 10 (almost there ;-) )

      Wheeeeeeeeeee!

      http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

      1 Reply Last reply
      1
      • mfalkviddM Offline
        mfalkviddM Offline
        mfalkvidd
        Mod
        wrote on last edited by mfalkvidd
        #6

        An alternative is to move the counter to another hardware resource (a timer, for instance):

        void setup() {
          cli();
          TCCR1A = 0;// set entire TCCR1A register to 0
          TCCR1B = 0;// same for TCCR1B
          TCNT1  = 0;//initialize counter value to 0
          // set compare match register for 1hz increments 15624 for 16MHz, 7812 for 8MHz
          OCR1A = 7812;// = (16*10^6) / (1*1024) - 1 (must be <65536)
          // turn on CTC mode
          TCCR1B |= (1 << WGM12);
          // Set CS10 and CS12 bits for 1024 prescaler
          TCCR1B |= (1 << CS12) | (1 << CS10);
          // enable timer compare interrupt
          TIMSK1 |= (1 << OCIE1A);
          sei();
        }
        
        volatile uint8_t shouldRun = 1;
        
        ISR(TIMER1_COMPA_vect) {
          shouldRun = 1;
        }
        
        void loop() {
          // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
          if (shouldRun) {
            // ... code that runs every second...
            shouldRun = false;
          }
        }
        

        Flash 570 bytes
        Ram: 11 bytes
        This solution uses 1 byte less (or is it 3 bytes, since it also uses 2 pointers less?) on the stack as well, which might make a difference. But it reserves timer1, which might or might not be OK depending on your application.

        YveauxY 1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

          An alternative is to move the counter to another hardware resource (a timer, for instance):

          void setup() {
            cli();
            TCCR1A = 0;// set entire TCCR1A register to 0
            TCCR1B = 0;// same for TCCR1B
            TCNT1  = 0;//initialize counter value to 0
            // set compare match register for 1hz increments 15624 for 16MHz, 7812 for 8MHz
            OCR1A = 7812;// = (16*10^6) / (1*1024) - 1 (must be <65536)
            // turn on CTC mode
            TCCR1B |= (1 << WGM12);
            // Set CS10 and CS12 bits for 1024 prescaler
            TCCR1B |= (1 << CS12) | (1 << CS10);
            // enable timer compare interrupt
            TIMSK1 |= (1 << OCIE1A);
            sei();
          }
          
          volatile uint8_t shouldRun = 1;
          
          ISR(TIMER1_COMPA_vect) {
            shouldRun = 1;
          }
          
          void loop() {
            // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
            if (shouldRun) {
              // ... code that runs every second...
              shouldRun = false;
            }
          }
          

          Flash 570 bytes
          Ram: 11 bytes
          This solution uses 1 byte less (or is it 3 bytes, since it also uses 2 pointers less?) on the stack as well, which might make a difference. But it reserves timer1, which might or might not be OK depending on your application.

          YveauxY Offline
          YveauxY Offline
          Yveaux
          Mod
          wrote on last edited by
          #7

          @mfalkvidd Nice one!

          To quote @mfalkvidd : "What I would worry about is the maintainability / readability of the code" ;-)

          http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • alowhumA Offline
            alowhumA Offline
            alowhum
            Plugin Developer
            wrote on last edited by alowhum
            #8

            Wow, what a response! Amazing stuff!

            thanks @mfalkvidd for the explanation.

            @Yveaux that millis() / 1000 is very elegant. That's a very interesting direction.

            For now though, looking at some of the creations.. I think I'll stick with my modulo system for readability :-D Very cool though.

            tekkaT 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • alowhumA alowhum

              Wow, what a response! Amazing stuff!

              thanks @mfalkvidd for the explanation.

              @Yveaux that millis() / 1000 is very elegant. That's a very interesting direction.

              For now though, looking at some of the creations.. I think I'll stick with my modulo system for readability :-D Very cool though.

              tekkaT Offline
              tekkaT Offline
              tekka
              Admin
              wrote on last edited by tekka
              #9

              @Yveaux @mfalkvidd Now it gets ugly - and we are not talking ASM yet... :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

              ISR (WDT_vect) {
                WDTCSR = _BV(WDCE) | _BV(WDE); 
                WDTCSR = _BV(WDIF) | _BV(WDIE) | 6; // 1s
                EEARL = 1;
              } 
              
              void setup() {
                WDT_vect();
              }
              
              void loop() {
                  if(EEARL) {
                    EEARL = 0;
                    // ... code that runs every second...
                  }
              }
              

              Flash: 502 bytes
              Ram: 9 bytes

              1 Reply Last reply
              3
              • alowhumA Offline
                alowhumA Offline
                alowhum
                Plugin Developer
                wrote on last edited by
                #10

                @tekka Whoa :-) Can you elaborate what your code voodoo does a little bit?

                For a balance of readability, I was pondering how to make this:

                • Divide millis() / 1000
                • round that down
                • get the last bit of that rounded down variable
                • if that last bit is different that before, a second has passed.
                YveauxY tekkaT 2 Replies Last reply
                0
                • alowhumA alowhum

                  @tekka Whoa :-) Can you elaborate what your code voodoo does a little bit?

                  For a balance of readability, I was pondering how to make this:

                  • Divide millis() / 1000
                  • round that down
                  • get the last bit of that rounded down variable
                  • if that last bit is different that before, a second has passed.
                  YveauxY Offline
                  YveauxY Offline
                  Yveaux
                  Mod
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #11

                  @alowhum that's exactly what my first code snippet does (apart from testing the lowest bit, but you don't need that. Change in seconds is sufficient)

                  http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • alowhumA Offline
                    alowhumA Offline
                    alowhum
                    Plugin Developer
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #12

                    @Yveaux I know, I really like it. But I was thinking about shaving of another byte somehow :-)

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • alowhumA alowhum

                      @tekka Whoa :-) Can you elaborate what your code voodoo does a little bit?

                      For a balance of readability, I was pondering how to make this:

                      • Divide millis() / 1000
                      • round that down
                      • get the last bit of that rounded down variable
                      • if that last bit is different that before, a second has passed.
                      tekkaT Offline
                      tekkaT Offline
                      tekka
                      Admin
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #13

                      @alowhum Instead of a timer, the watchdog interrupt is used to set a flag on a (in this sketch) not-used eeprom addressing register (EEARL)...certainly not a generic approach, but functional :smiley:

                      mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • tekkaT tekka

                        @alowhum Instead of a timer, the watchdog interrupt is used to set a flag on a (in this sketch) not-used eeprom addressing register (EEARL)...certainly not a generic approach, but functional :smiley:

                        mfalkviddM Offline
                        mfalkviddM Offline
                        mfalkvidd
                        Mod
                        wrote on last edited by mfalkvidd
                        #14

                        @tekka so it wouldn't work in a MySensors sketch? That's cheating ;-)

                        tekkaT 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

                          @tekka so it wouldn't work in a MySensors sketch? That's cheating ;-)

                          tekkaT Offline
                          tekkaT Offline
                          tekka
                          Admin
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #15

                          @mfalkvidd Strictly speaking, only @Yveaux's solution would work without modifications to the MySensors core :) But the challenge was weakly defined, so no cheating in that sense :sweat_smile:

                          mfalkviddM YveauxY 2 Replies Last reply
                          1
                          • tekkaT tekka

                            @mfalkvidd Strictly speaking, only @Yveaux's solution would work without modifications to the MySensors core :) But the challenge was weakly defined, so no cheating in that sense :sweat_smile:

                            mfalkviddM Offline
                            mfalkviddM Offline
                            mfalkvidd
                            Mod
                            wrote on last edited by mfalkvidd
                            #16

                            @tekka would it? I verified that my solution worked on a serial gateway. But maybe there was some aspect that I didn't test, that would fail.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • tekkaT tekka

                              @mfalkvidd Strictly speaking, only @Yveaux's solution would work without modifications to the MySensors core :) But the challenge was weakly defined, so no cheating in that sense :sweat_smile:

                              YveauxY Offline
                              YveauxY Offline
                              Yveaux
                              Mod
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #17

                              @tekka I couldn't agree more ;-)
                              IMHO readability is the differentiator here.

                              http://yveaux.blogspot.nl

                              1 Reply Last reply
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                              • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

                                @alowhum trading one (or more) resource(s) for another is what optimizing is about. So if you need ram, this is reasonable. And no, using modulus will not affect the performance of most applications.

                                What I would worry about is the maintainability / readability of the code. What happens if you need to modify the code 2 years from now, will you remember how it works? What is the risk of introducing new bugs or strange side-effects? Is that risk worth saving the ram? If it is, then you use it. I don't see it being anything more complicated than that.

                                AffordableTechA Offline
                                AffordableTechA Offline
                                AffordableTech
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #18

                                Hi @mfalkvidd,

                                Problem is, when your code can't compile because you are one (or several) bytes short of ram, nothing else matters.

                                As to readability, I assume you know about that rarely used compiler feature called 'comments'? I hear they use zero Arduino RAM and even less ROM memory. :flushed:.

                                Ok, I'm just being cheeky, so don't flame me, it just seemed a good opportunity for a reminder to everybody. Point being we are all guilty of not using enough comments in our code.

                                You said you are worried about readability and maintainability - it's just like code backups, it's a problem only because we only worry about them 'after' a drive crash, or in the case of comments, two years later when we are trying to remember what the hell this weird code does.. THE REALITY: If we are really worried, we would add liberal comments and do regular backups - otherwise I say we're not really 'that' worried.

                                Cheers,

                                Paul

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