LED sometimes don't turn off when a button is pressed

Question

I'm still very new to this but I've put together some code that when a button is pressed, my servo runs continuously, a second button rotates it the other way and a third cancels everything.

A red or green comes on depending on the rotation and this can be one using an IR receiver also.

Issue I'm having is that randomly, 1/5 of the time, the red or green LED does not turn off. I can manually kill it using the third cancel button or just press it a couple times until it turns off as it should on the next push of the button.

Cant work out where im going wrong.

I also find my IR remote works maybe 60% of the time. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

#include <Servo.h>
Servo servo1;
int servoPin = 9;
#include "IRremote.h"
/----- Variables, Pins -----/
int receiver = 12; // Signal Pin of IR receiver to Arduino Digital Pin 6
int RledPin = 5;
int GledPin = 3;
int buttonApin = 7;
int buttonBpin = 8;
int buttonCpin = 4;
unsigned long elapsedTime;
unsigned long onTime;
/-----( Declare objects )-----/
// Setup of proper sequencing for Motor Driver Pins
// In1, In2, In3, In4 in the sequence 1-3-2-4
IRrecv irrecv(receiver);    // create instance of 'irrecv'
decode_results results;     // create instance of 'decode_results'
void setup()
{
  irrecv.enableIRIn(); // Start the receiver
  servo1.attach(servoPin);
  servo1.write(90);
  pinMode(RledPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(GledPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(buttonApin, INPUT_PULLUP);

  pinMode(buttonBpin, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(buttonCpin, INPUT_PULLUP);
}
void loop(){
if (digitalRead(buttonApin) == LOW)   // Switch is closed to start LED timer
         {
          digitalWrite(RledPin, HIGH);  // Red LED comes On
          digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);  // Green LED Goes Off
          servo1.attach(servoPin); //Servo is activated
          servo1.write(0);  //Servo turns on clockwise
            onTime = millis();  //time set
          }
  if(onTime &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; millis() - onTime &gt; 1500)  //time limit target
        {      
        servo1.write(90); //Servo stops
        servo1.detach(); //servo deactivated
        delay(500); //used to sync the servo stop with the LED off
        digitalWrite(RledPin, LOW);  // LED goes off
          onTime = 0;  //time reset
        }


if (digitalRead(buttonCpin) == LOW)   // Switch is closed to start LED timer
         {
          digitalWrite(GledPin, HIGH);  // Green LED comes On
          digitalWrite(RledPin, LOW);  // RED LED Goes Off
          servo1.attach(servoPin); //Servo is activated
          servo1.write(180);  //Servo turns on anti-clockwise
            onTime = millis();  //time set
          }
  if(onTime &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; millis() - onTime &gt; 1500)  //time limit target
        {                 
        servo1.write(90); //Servo stops
        servo1.detach(); //servo deactivated
        delay(500);
        digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);
          onTime = 0;  //time reset
        }


if (digitalRead(buttonBpin) == LOW) //Deactivation Sequence KILL SWITCH
  {
    digitalWrite(RledPin, LOW);
    digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);
    servo1.write(90);
    servo1.detach();
      onTime = 0;  //time reset
  }
if (irrecv.decode(&results)) // have we received an IR signal?
{
    switch(results.value)
{

  case 0xFFE01F: // DOWN button pressed
                  {
      digitalWrite(RledPin, HIGH);  // Red LED comes On
      digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);  // Green LED Goes Off
      servo1.attach(servoPin); //Servo is activated
      servo1.write(0);  //Servo turns on clockwise
      onTime = millis();  //time set
      }

      if(onTime &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; millis() - onTime &gt; 2000)  //time limit target
        {      
        servo1.write(90); //Servo stops
        servo1.detach(); //servo deactivated
        digitalWrite(RledPin, LOW);  // LED goes off
         onTime = 0;  //time reset
        }
        break; 


  case 0xFF906F: // UP button pressed
                  {
      digitalWrite(GledPin, HIGH);  // Green LED comes On
      digitalWrite(RledPin, LOW);  // RED LED Goes Off
      servo1.attach(servoPin); //Servo is activated
      servo1.write(180);  //Servo turns on anticlockwise
      onTime = millis();  //time set
      }

  if(onTime &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; millis() - onTime &gt; 2000)  //time limit target
        {      
        servo1.write(90); //Servo stops
        servo1.detach(); //servo deactivated
        digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);  // LED goes off
         onTime = 0;  //time reset
        } 
        break;

  case 0xFF02FD: // PAUSE button pressed
                  servo1.write(90);
                  servo1.detach();
                  digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);
                  digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);
                  break;

}

  irrecv.resume(); // receive the next value




}
}/* --end main loop -- */

insert a layer of separation between the button press and the resulting action ... do same with IR codes .... pressing a button results is a flag variable being set doRed = true; ...... case 0xFFE01F: does the same thing .... neither of these do anything else, just set a flag and continue on ..... further down in loop(), act on the state of the flag if (doRed) { — jsotola, May 16 '21 at 22:32
Please adopt an indenting style and stick to it. Your source is barely readable. Many problems reveal themselves by consistent indentation. — the busybee, May 17 '21 at 06:10
Insert some debugging outputs to see what exactly happens in your program. — the busybee, May 17 '21 at 06:11
Are you debouncing the buttons in hardware? If not, you need to debounce them in software using a debouncer. This will remove the random glitches as the switch contacts bounce when they change over. — tim, May 17 '21 at 07:15
@jsotola Thanks for the reply, sorry to sound silly but when you say add a layer of separation, what does that mean? — Nathan Cooper, May 17 '21 at 16:11
@tim Thanks for the suggestion, I ave read articles mentioning debouncers but don't know anything about them. I will go away and look into it, thank you. — Nathan Cooper, May 17 '21 at 16:12
@NathanCooper ... not separated if button is pressed, then turn on LED.... separated if button is pressed, then set a flag .... if flag is set, then turn on LED .... multiple events can set the flag ... only one function checks the flag and activates the LED — jsotola, May 17 '21 at 18:34

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered May 17 '21 at 18:08

Found the answer!

I added serial print to every line and realised that my kill process after the time elapsed was switching between the red led and green led.

I didn't need the if time elapsed function many times, just once. Deleted that portion and it worked perfectly. Seems to have fixed the IR troubles too.

Working code:


#include <Servo.h>
Servo servo1;
int servoPin = 9;
#include "IRremote.h"
/----- Variables, Pins -----/
int receiver = 12; // Signal Pin of IR receiver to Arduino Digital Pin 6
int RledPin = 5;
int GledPin = 3;
int buttonApin = 7;
int buttonBpin = 8;
int buttonCpin = 4;
unsigned long elapsedTime;
unsigned long onTime;
/-----( Declare objects )-----/
// Setup of proper sequencing for Motor Driver Pins
// In1, In2, In3, In4 in the sequence 1-3-2-4
IRrecv irrecv(receiver);    // create instance of 'irrecv'
decode_results results;     // create instance of 'decode_results'
void setup()
{
  irrecv.enableIRIn(); // Start the receiver
  servo1.attach(servoPin);
  servo1.write(90);
  pinMode(RledPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(GledPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(buttonApin, INPUT_PULLUP);

  pinMode(buttonBpin, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(buttonCpin, INPUT_PULLUP);
  Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH);
}
void loop(){
if (digitalRead(buttonApin) == LOW)   // Switch is closed to start LED timer
         {
          digitalWrite(RledPin, HIGH);  // Red LED comes On
          Serial.println("RED comes on");
          digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);  // Green LED Goes Off
          Serial.println("green off");
          servo1.attach(servoPin); //Servo is activated
          Serial.println("red servo attach");
          servo1.write(0);  //Servo turns on clockwise
          Serial.println("red servo spins");
            onTime = millis();  //time set
         }
if(onTime > 0 && millis() - onTime > 1500)  //time limit target
            {

            servo1.write(90); //Servo stops
            Serial.println("servo stops spinning");
            digitalWrite(RledPin, LOW);  // LED goes off
            digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);  // LED goes off
            Serial.println("red RED goes off");
            delay(500);
            Serial.println("delay");
            servo1.detach(); //servo deactivated
            Serial.println("servo Rled dettach");

              onTime = 0;  //time reset
     }

if (digitalRead(buttonCpin) == LOW)   // Switch is closed to start LED timer
         {
          digitalWrite(GledPin, HIGH);  // Green LED comes On
          Serial.println("green comes on");
          digitalWrite(RledPin, LOW);  // RED LED Goes Off
          Serial.println("RED goes off");
          servo1.attach(servoPin); //Servo is activated
          Serial.println("green servo attached");
          servo1.write(180);  //Servo turns on clockwise
          Serial.println("green servo spins");
            onTime = millis();  //time set
         }
if (digitalRead(buttonBpin) == LOW) //Dectivation Sequence KILL SWITCH
  {
    digitalWrite(RledPin, LOW);
    Serial.println("total red off");
    digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);
    Serial.println("total green off");
    servo1.write(90);
    Serial.println("total servo off");
    servo1.detach();
    Serial.println("total detach");
      onTime = 0;  //time reset
  }
if (irrecv.decode(&results)) // have we received an IR signal?
{
    switch(results.value)
{

  case 0xFFE01F: // DOWN button pressed
                  {
      digitalWrite(RledPin, HIGH);  // Red LED comes On
      digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);  // Green LED Goes Off
      servo1.attach(servoPin); //Servo is activated
      servo1.write(0);  //Servo turns on clockwise
      onTime = millis();  //time set
      }
      break; 


  case 0xFF906F: // UP button pressed
                  {
      digitalWrite(GledPin, HIGH);  // Green LED comes On
      digitalWrite(RledPin, LOW);  // RED LED Goes Off
      servo1.attach(servoPin); //Servo is activated
      servo1.write(180);  //Servo turns on clockwise
      onTime = millis();  //time set
      }
      break;

  case 0xFF02FD: // PAUSE button pressed
      servo1.write(90);
      digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);
      digitalWrite(GledPin, LOW);
      delay(500);
      servo1.detach();         
      break;               
}

  irrecv.resume(); // receive the next value




}
}/* --end main loop -- */

LED sometimes don't turn off when a button is pressed

1 Answers1