diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'docs/source/lang/volatile.rst')
-rw-r--r-- | docs/source/lang/volatile.rst | 73 |
1 files changed, 73 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/docs/source/lang/volatile.rst b/docs/source/lang/volatile.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a0ef671 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/source/lang/volatile.rst @@ -0,0 +1,73 @@ +.. _lang-volatile: + +volatile keyword +================ + +volatile is a keyword known as a variable *qualifier*, it is +usually used before the datatype of a variable, to modify the way +in which the compiler and subsequent program treats the variable. + + + +Declaring a variable volatile is a directive to the compiler. The +compiler is software which translates your C/C++ code into the +machine code, which are the real instructions for the Atmega chip +in the Arduino. + + + +Specifically, it directs the compiler to load the variable from RAM +and not from a storage register, which is a temporary memory +location where program variables are stored and manipulated. Under +certain conditions, the value for a variable stored in registers +can be inaccurate. + + + +A variable should be declared volatile whenever its value can be +changed by something beyond the control of the code section in +which it appears, such as a concurrently executing thread. In the +Arduino, the only place that this is likely to occur is in sections +of code associated with interrupts, called an interrupt service +routine. + + + +Example +------- + +:: + + // toggles LED when interrupt pin changes state + + int pin = 13; + volatile int state = LOW; + + void setup() + { + pinMode(pin, OUTPUT); + attachInterrupt(0, blink, CHANGE); + } + + void loop() + { + digitalWrite(pin, state); + } + + void blink() + { + state = !state; + } + + + +See also +-------- + + +- `AttachInterrupt <http://arduino.cc/en/Reference/AttachInterrupt>`_ + + + + +.. include:: cc-attribution.txt |