Delay without using pause

[Scampy]

Guys, thanks for your continued input.

I've hit a hurdle and it's doing my head in. In the original code the readings from the 4 sensors were displayed constantly on the LCD, so within the main program loop there is a for next loop which runs through and reads the 4 DS18B20's and puts the results into a 4 line array. This results in a fast response in updating the display when temperatures change. Now that I'm also reading an AM2302 and want to display data from that too, the LCD looks cluttered if I follow the same method, hence my idea of displaying the readings from each vivarium on a single line, which would overwrite the values for each vivarium every few seconds. The problem is that if I opt to change this so the for next loop which reads the sensors is changed so that it reads sensor 1 and then goes to a subroutine to display the results for two or three seconds it means that it can take 8 - 12 seconds to go round the loop to read all four sensors, which defeats the object of having fast response times, and in 12 seconds the temp in the vivarium could become dangerously high as this would effect the PID timings.

I think to only option is to use two 20 x 4 LCD's or one 40 x 4 LCD, or possibly a GLCD

[Tabsoft]

Can you post a mockup of your display in text and how you use it and how you see using it?

[Scampy]

This was the best match, but I have no room to display the time.



This is what I'm trying to achieve



With line 2 being updated with data for Viv2, Viv3 etc

[Art]

"which would overwrite the values for each vivarium every few seconds. “

It sounds like you just need to overwrite the appropriate value into the 4 line buffer instead of updating the whole display buffer for every variable,
or update the LCD location directly, but I would do the former, and write a complete screen every time.

[Art]

Does viv mean vivarium? Before you listen to me you should see how professional my setup is
I like the way the LCD doesn’t have a backlight so I faked it with an LED.

[Scampy]

Nice Beardie -

yes Viv is for vivarium, currently have a custom unit of three vivs, plus an incubator as my to royals have been locked several times over the past few months. Here's the incubator, and the existing controller, which is a bit neater than your set up - but hey if it works for you that's the main thing

[Art]

Well it did six yrs ago

Can you post the main code that prints to LCD?

There are a lot of ways to solve it.
I think I only now properly understand the issue.

Padding has already been suggested and is one good way.
Using a word variable you could mean average quite a few
temperature readings.