Interrupts short & simple: Part 2 - Variables, buffers & latencies | Embedded http://www.embedded.com/design/programming-languages-and-tools/43...

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Editor's note: In this second part in an on-going series on the appropriate use of
interrupts in embedded systems design, Priyadeep Kaur discusses ISRs, global/local Download Datasheets
variables, data buffers, shared memory and the interrupt timing latencies.
PART NUMBER

In the first part of this series on interrupts, we discussed the importance of careful interrupt
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handling and some general interrupt handling practices related to the robust structuring of
ISRs. Now we will discuss the implications of the liberal use of global/local variables in an
ISR.

Global variables – Know when it’s modified

Global variables need to be carefully handled while used with ISRs, because interrupts
are generally asynchronous and if a global variable is being written into by an ISR, it can
get modified at any time. We need to be careful of the following aspects:

Reading/Writing Global Variables at multiple places Global variables should be

modified at only a few necessary places inside a program. If a global variable is being
modified by multiple threads (i.e., the main process, ISRs, and other hardware functions
like DMA inside an MCU), there is a chance of the variable getting corrupted.

Reading a global variable at multiple instances inside a main process is as worrisome

as its modification in different threads. Consider the following example:

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Click on image to enlarge.

else if(Command == 2)

Click on image to enlarge.

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Click on image to enlarge.

void ADC_ISR(void)
{
Data = ADC_MSB;

(Data<<8)|ADC_LSB;

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