Arduino Cloud Light -- Boolean thunderstorm - boolean

Question

I'm using an arduino to make a Cloud Light with an IR remote. I am trying to make one of the buttons simulate a thunder storm where the white LED's will randomly flash WITHIN the boolean statement under the specific code... Trouble is, I can only make it go through the flash period once... Here's the portion of code for the storm:
#include <IRremote.h>
// My modified code
int RECV_PIN = 11;
int red = 2;
int yellow = 3;
int green = 4;
int blue = 5;
int purple = 6;
int white = 7;
long randOn = random(10,200);
long guess = random(1000,20000);
#define powercode 16726725
#define stormcode 4294967295
IRrecv irrecv(RECV_PIN);
decode_results results;
void setup()
{
pinMode(red, OUTPUT);
pinMode(yellow, OUTPUT);
pinMode(green, OUTPUT);
pinMode(blue, OUTPUT);
pinMode(purple, OUTPUT);
pinMode(white, OUTPUT);
irrecv.enableIRIn(); // Start the receiver
}
int redbool = 0;
int orangebool = 0;
int yellowbool = 0;
int greenbool = 0;
int bluebool = 0;
int purplebool = 0;
int whitebool = 0;
int rgbbool = 0;
int rainbowbool = 0;
int sunbool = 0;
int rainbool = 0;
int stormbool = 0;
int quickbool = 0;
unsigned long last = millis();
void loop() {
if (irrecv.decode(&results)) {
//Sun
if (results.value == 16726725) {
if (millis() - last > 250) {
sunbool = !sunbool;
if (sunbool == 0) {
digitalWrite (red, LOW);
digitalWrite (yellow, LOW);
digitalWrite (green, LOW);
digitalWrite (blue, LOW);
digitalWrite (purple, LOW);
digitalWrite (white, LOW);
}
else {
digitalWrite (red, LOW);
digitalWrite (green, LOW);
digitalWrite (blue, LOW);
digitalWrite (purple, LOW);
digitalWrite (white, HIGH);
digitalWrite (yellow, HIGH);
}
}
last = millis();
}
//rain
if (results.value == 16745085) {
if (millis() - last > 250) {
rainbool = !rainbool;
if (rainbool == 0) {
digitalWrite (red, LOW);
digitalWrite (yellow, LOW);
digitalWrite (green, LOW);
digitalWrite (blue, LOW);
digitalWrite (purple, LOW);
digitalWrite (white, LOW);
}
else {
digitalWrite (red, LOW);
digitalWrite (green, LOW);
digitalWrite (yellow, LOW);
digitalWrite (purple, LOW);
digitalWrite (white, HIGH);
digitalWrite (blue, HIGH);
}
}
last = millis();
}
//storm
if (results.value == 16759365) {
if (millis() - last > 250) {
stormbool = !stormbool;
if (stormbool == 0) {
digitalWrite (red, LOW);
digitalWrite (yellow, LOW);
digitalWrite (green, LOW);
digitalWrite (blue, HIGH);
digitalWrite (purple, HIGH);
digitalWrite (white, LOW);
}
else {
digitalWrite (red, LOW);
digitalWrite (green, LOW);
digitalWrite (yellow, LOW);
digitalWrite (white, LOW);
digitalWrite (blue, HIGH);
digitalWrite (purple, HIGH);
digitalWrite(white, HIGH);
delay(randOn);
digitalWrite(white, LOW);
delay(randOn + randOn);
digitalWrite(white, HIGH);
delay(randOn);
digitalWrite(white, LOW);
}
}
last = millis();
}
//rainbow
if (results.value == 16712445) { // TIVO button
// If it's been at least 1/4 second since the last
// IR received, toggle the relay
if (millis() - last > 250) {
rainbowbool = !rainbowbool;
digitalWrite(white, LOW);
digitalWrite(red, rainbowbool ? HIGH : LOW);
digitalWrite(yellow, rainbowbool ? HIGH : LOW);
digitalWrite(green, rainbowbool ? HIGH : LOW);
digitalWrite(blue, rainbowbool ? HIGH : LOW);
digitalWrite(purple, rainbowbool ? HIGH : LOW);
}
last = millis();
}
//red
if (results.value == 16718565) { // TIVO button
// If it's been at least 1/4 second since the last
// IR received, toggle the relay
if (millis() - last > 250) {
redbool = !redbool;
digitalWrite(red, redbool ? HIGH : LOW);
}
last = millis();
}
//orange
if (results.value == 16726215) { // TIVO button
// If it's been at least 1/4 second since the last
// IR received, toggle the relay
if (millis() - last > 250) {
orangebool = !orangebool;
digitalWrite(red, orangebool ? HIGH : LOW);
digitalWrite(yellow, orangebool ? HIGH : LOW);
}
last = millis();
}
//yellow
if (results.value == 16718055) { // TIVO button
// If it's been at least 1/4 second since the last
// IR received, toggle the relay
if (millis() - last > 250) {
yellowbool = !yellowbool;
digitalWrite(yellow, yellowbool ? HIGH : LOW);
}
last = millis();
}
//green
if (results.value == 16751205) { // TIVO button
// If it's been at least 1/4 second since the last
// IR received, toggle the relay
if (millis() - last > 250) {
greenbool = !greenbool;
digitalWrite(green, greenbool ? HIGH : LOW);
}
last = millis();
}
//blue
if (results.value == 16753245) { // TIVO button
// If it's been at least 1/4 second since the last
// IR received, toggle the relay
if (millis() - last > 250) {
bluebool = !bluebool;
digitalWrite(blue, bluebool ? HIGH : LOW);
}
last = millis();
}
//purple
if (results.value == 16757325) { // TIVO button
// If it's been at least 1/4 second since the last
// IR received, toggle the relay
if (millis() - last > 250) {
purplebool = !purplebool;
digitalWrite(purple, purplebool ? HIGH : LOW);
}
last = millis();
}
//white
if (results.value == 16720605) { // TIVO button
// If it's been at least 1/4 second since the last
// IR received, toggle the relay
if (millis() - last > 250) {
whitebool = !whitebool;
digitalWrite(white, whitebool ? HIGH : LOW);
}
last = millis();
}
//Quick section
if (results.value == 16771095) { // TIVO button
// If it's been at least 1/4 second since the last
// IR received, toggle the relay
if (millis() - last > 250) {
quickbool =! quickbool;
digitalWrite(white, HIGH);
delay(guess);
digitalWrite(white, LOW);
delay(guess);
digitalWrite(white, HIGH);
delay(guess + guess);
digitalWrite(white, LOW);
}
last = millis();
}
irrecv.resume(); // Receive the next value
}
}
If I keep adding these delays and digitalWrites, I can't change "channels" or LED's to different colors, I'm stuck until the thing finishes! Thanks for helping me ahead of time!

Answer 1

you are correct that when using the delay function no other action can happen. You should try and make your code like the blinkWithoutDelay example.
so you could do something like this
// struct that represents the values for each led
struct LED{
int pin; // pin # the led is connected to
int state; // state of the led , on or off
long interval; // how long we should wait before toggling
long timeToggled; // last time we toggled
};
if(results.value == 16759365){
digitalWrite(0,HIGH);
digitalWrite(1,HIGH);
digitalWrite(2,HIGH);
LED white = {0,HIGH,100,millis()};
LED yellow = {1,HIGH,10,millis()};
LED blue = {2,HIGH,420,millis()};
results = readIr(); // check the ir value again and keep looping until it changes
while(results.value == 16759365){
toggleLed(white);
toggleLed(yellow);
toggleLed(blue);
results = readIr(); // if ir value hasnt changed keep looping until it does
}
digitalWrite(0,LOW);
digitalWrite(1,LOW);
digitalWrite(2,LOW);
}
void toggleLed(struct LED currentLed){
unsigned long currentMillis = millis();
if(currentMillis - currentLed.timeToggled > currentLed.interval) {
// save the last time you blinked the LED
currentLed.timeToggled = currentMillis;
// if the LED is off turn it on and vice-versa:
if (currentLed.state == LOW)
currentLed.state = HIGH;
else
currentLed.state = LOW;
// set the LED with the ledState of the variable:
digitalWrite(currentLed.pin, currentLed.state);
}
}