There seems to be a problem using multiple app_timer() together.

Question

Hello 
 I am using sdk v17.0 and nrf52832. I'm using two timers through a button. 
 1. Timer for click & double-click. (Single Timer) 2. Timer for Long Press. (Repeated Timer) 
 
 Using them separately is not a problem, but if I use them together, It stop when I double-click. I checked by debugging, but no error occurred. (I think it stopped at the RTC.) 
 static void PairLED_timer_handler(void * p_context) //when advertising toggle led
{
 nrf_gpio_pin_toggle(Pairing_LED); //toggle led
}


uint32_t press_time; //press time count
uint32_t press_time2; //press time count
int click_count; //click count(use double click)
bool buttonTimeout = false; //use double click

static void PowerOff_timer_handler(void * p_context)
{
 press_time++;
 printf("COUNT : %d
", press_time);

 if(press_time == 2) //press 2sec, Power Off
 {
 printf("Power Off!
");
 //nrf_gpio_pin_clear(POWER_SW); //LOW : power off
 }
}


static void DoubleClick_timer_handler(void * p_context)
{
 //printf("Timeout
");
 printf("%d
", click_count);
 buttonTimeout = true;

 if(click_count == 1)
 {
 printf("One Click
");
 }

 click_count = 0;
}


static void timers_init(void)
{
 ret_code_t err_code;

 // Initialize timer module.
 err_code = app_timer_init();
 APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);

 //Create Pairing LED timers/
 err_code = app_timer_create(&m_PairLED_timerid,
 APP_TIMER_MODE_REPEATED,
 PairLED_timer_handler);
 APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);

 //Create Power off Time timers/
 err_code = app_timer_create(&m_PowerOff_timer_id,
 APP_TIMER_MODE_REPEATED,
 PowerOff_timer_handler);
 APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);

 //Create DOuble Click Time timers/
 err_code = app_timer_create(&m_DoubleClick_timer_id,
 APP_TIMER_MODE_SINGLE_SHOT,
 DoubleClick_timer_handler);
 APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
}


static void PairLED_timers_start()
{
 ret_code_t err_code;

 err_code = app_timer_start(m_PairLED_timerid, APP_TIMER_TICKS(1000), NULL); //Toggle 1sec
 APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
 printf("Scanning Start
");
}


static void PairLED_timers_stop() //Stop Timer
{
 ret_code_t err_code;

 err_code = app_timer_stop(m_PairLED_timerid); 
 APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
}


static void PowerOff_timers_start()
{
 ret_code_t err_code;

 err_code = app_timer_start(m_PowerOff_timer_id, APP_TIMER_TICKS(1000), NULL); //count 1sec
 APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
}


static void PowerOff_timers_stop()
{
 ret_code_t err_code;

 //printf("No Power Off
");
 press_time = 0; //count reset

 err_code = app_timer_stop(m_PowerOff_timer_id); 
 APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code); 
}

static void DoubleClick_timers_start()
{
 ret_code_t err_code;

 err_code = app_timer_start(m_DoubleClick_timer_id, APP_TIMER_TICKS(500), NULL); 
 APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
}


static void DoubleClick_timers_stop() //Stop Timer
{
 ret_code_t err_code;

 err_code = app_timer_stop(m_DoubleClick_timer_id); 
 APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);

 //printf("Stop Timer
");
}


//==========================================================

static uint32_t pressed_time, released_time, pressed_duration = 0;
static bool pressed_cnt= false;

static uint32_t app_button_duration(void) //press time
{
 pressed_duration = (released_time - pressed_time)*2; //ms
 return pressed_duration;
}

static void app_button_init_time_variable(void)
{
 pressed_duration = 0; //press time
}


static void app_button_event_generator(void) //button press time
{
 ret_code_t err_code;

 app_button_init_time_variable();
}
 

static void app_button_event_handler(uint8_t pin_no, uint8_t button_action)
{
 ret_code_t err_code;

 switch (pin_no)
 {
 case BUTTON_1: 
 switch (button_action)
 {
 case APP_BUTTON_PUSH:
 {
 //printf("Button pressed
");

 //get pressed time
 /*pressed_time = app_timer_cnt_get()*1000/32768;//milli-sec
 NRF_LOG_INFO("pressed_time: %d", (int)pressed_time);
 printf("pressed_time: %d
", (int)pressed_time);
 pressed_cnt = true; */

 if(click_count == 0) //first click
 {
 buttonTimeout = false;
 DoubleClick_timers_start(); //buttonTimeout = true, click_count = 0;
 }

 PowerOff_timers_start(); //press time count
 } 

 click_count++;
 break;

 case APP_BUTTON_RELEASE:
 { 
 //printf("Button releaed
");

 PowerOff_timers_stop();

 /*if (pressed_cnt)
 {
 released_time = app_timer_cnt_get()*1000/32768; //milli-sec
 NRF_LOG_INFO("released_time: %d", (int)released_time);
 printf("released_time: %d
", (int)released_time);
 click_state = 0;
 }

 pressed_cnt = false; */

 if(click_count == 2 && !buttonTimeout) //double click
 {
 DoubleClick_timers_stop();
 click_count = 0;
 printf("Double Click
");
 } 
 } break;
 } 
 break;

 default:
 APP_ERROR_HANDLER(pin_no);
 break;
 }

 if(app_button_duration())
 {
 app_button_event_generator();
 }

 app_button_init_time_variable(); 
}


static void app_buttons_init(void)
{
 uint32_t err_code;

 static const app_button_cfg_t app_buttons[BUTTONS_NUMBER] =
 {
 {BUTTON_1, false, BUTTON_PULL, app_button_event_handler},
 };

 err_code = app_button_init((app_button_cfg_t *)app_buttons,
 BUTTONS_NUMBER, // 1
 APP_TIMER_TICKS(50)); //debounce
 APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
}

Could you tell me the cause of this problem? 
 Thank you!

Einar Thorsrud · Accepted Answer

Hi, 
 Testing the project I see some issues. I see that for instance if only doing single clicks, every single single click is ignored. Adding more logging I see that the timeout handle for the click count timer then runs repeatedly with the click count 0. First of all, it should probably be a single shot timer instead of a repeated timer. But even so, there is something fishy making the click count 0. 
 This issue does not seem related to the app_timer itself, but rather some issue with the logic. I did not spot all issues, though, so it still does not work. I suspect it would be better to take out just the click detection code (single click, double click, long click) so that you get an overview and make that work separately. That should not be a big task, so it may be better to just start that from scratch, and copy it to your app when you know it is working.

schosdas · Answer

Hello, Einar 
 I think this problem has been solved well. Actually, I don't understand what's wrong with it yet, but when I double-click, I think it's the problem that the long-click timer calls twice. So I fixed the problem by preventing the long-click timer from being called when double-click. I will try more to see if there is a better solution. Thank you very much for your help!

There seems to be a problem using multiple app_timer() together.

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