$TIMEOUT

Action

Enable timeout on the hardware UART and software UART.

 

 

Syntax

$TIMEOUT = value

 

 

Remarks

Value

A constant that fits into a LONG , indicating how much time must be waited before the waiting is terminated.

 

All RS-232 serial statements and functions(except INKEY) that use the hardware UART or software UART, will halt the program until a character is received. Only with buffered serial input you can process your main program while the buffer received data on the background.

 

 $TIMEOUT is an alternative for normal serial reception. It is not intended to be used with buffered serial reception.

 

When you assign a constant to $TIMEOUT, you actual assign a value to the internal created value named ___TIMEOUT.

 

This value will be decremented in the routine that waits for serial data. When it reaches zero, it will terminate.

 

So the bigger the value, the longer the wait time before the timeout occurs. The timeout is not in seconds or microseconds, it is a relative number. Only the speed of the oscillator has effect on the duration. And the value of the number of course.

 

When the time out is reached, a zero/null will be returned to the calling routine. Waitkey() will return 0 when used with a byte. When you use INPUT with a string, the timeout will be set for every character. So when 5 characters are expected, and they arrive just before the timeout value is reached, it may take a long time until the code is executed.

 

When the timeout occurs on the first character, it will return much faster.

 

When you already sent data, this data will be returned. For example, "123" was sent but a RETURN was never sent, INPUT will return "123". While without the $TIMEOUT, INPUT will not return until a RETURN is received.

 

When you activate $TIMEOUT, and your micro has two UARTS(Mega128 for example) it will be active for both UART0 and UART1. And for an ATMEGA2560 with 4 UARTS, it will be enabled for all 4 UARTS, but only when no serial input buffer is configured.

 

$TIMEOUT is also supported by the software UART. In fact, when you enable it for the hardware UART, you enable it for the software UART as well.

 

 

See Also

INPUT , WAITKEY

 

 

Example

'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'name : timeout.bas
'copyright : (c) 1995-2005, MCS Electronics
'purpose : demonstration of the $timeout option
'micro : Mega48
'suited for demo : yes
'commercial addon needed : no
'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
$regfile = "m48def.dat" ' specify the used micro
$crystal = 8000000 ' used crystal frequency
$baud = 19200 ' use baud rate
$hwstack = 32 ' default use 32 for the hardware stack
$swstack = 10 ' default use 10 for the SW stack
$framesize = 40 ' default use 40 for the frame space
 
'most serial communication functions and routines wait until a character
'or end of line is received.
'This blocks execution of your program. SOmething you can change by using buffered input
'There is also another option : using a timeout
'$timeout Does Not Work With Buffered Serial Input
 
 
Dim Sname As String * 10
Dim B As Byte
Do
$timeout = 1000000
Input "Name : " , Sname
Print "Hello " ; Sname
 
$timeout = 5000000
Input "Name : " , Sname
Print "Hello " ; Sname
Loop
 
'you can re-configure $timeout

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