From d9cbd78e29d42e70bb46641dd43ee0772c8c975f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Marti Bolivar Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2010 11:23:33 -0500 Subject: reorganized all the arduino/ docs into a lang/ subdirectory since they're properly CC attributed now. --- source/lang/volatile.rst | 73 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 73 insertions(+) create mode 100644 source/lang/volatile.rst (limited to 'source/lang/volatile.rst') diff --git a/source/lang/volatile.rst b/source/lang/volatile.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a0ef671 --- /dev/null +++ b/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 `_ + + + + +.. include:: cc-attribution.txt -- cgit v1.2.3