Timing Arduino Operations

Collection of observed times for the Arduino (ATMega328P @ 16 MHz) to complete specific operations. Code example and oscilloscope printouts provided for each example

Simple Operations

Toggling a pin via digitalWrite()

Time from High to Low: 3.360us
Time from Low to High: 3.5us
Average time to toggle pin: ~3.43us

void loop() {
    digitalWrite(TEST_PIN, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(TEST_PIN, LOW);
}

Toggling a pin via digitalWrite() with digitalRead() and boolean operation:
Total time: 5.320 us
Less toggle time: ~3.43us
Time of digitalRead() with boolean operation: ~1.89us

void loop() {
    digitalWrite(TEST_PIN, !digitalRead(TEST_PIN));
}

delayMicroseconds()

Toggling a pin with a microsecond delay
10us delay: 12.20us
15us delay: 17.2us

void loop() {
    digitalWrite(TEST_PIN, HIGH);
    delayMicroseconds(DELAY_INTERVAL); // Tested with 10 and 15
    digitalWrite(TEST_PIN, LOW);
}

Simple if and boolean write

bool testVar = false;
void loop() {
  digitalWrite(TEST_PIN, HIGH);

  if(testVar == false) {
    delayMicroseconds(10);
    testVar = true;
    digitalWrite(TEST_PIN, LOW);
  } else {
    delayMicroseconds(15);
    testVar = false;
    digitalWrite(TEST_PIN, LOW);
  }
}

Dynamixel Servo Operations

writeControlTableItem()

Time to send command via writeControlTableItem()
Example packets: 98.60 us
Send line high: 116 us

...
void loop() {
    dxl.writeControlTableItem(MOVING_SPEED, 6, 500);
    delay(1000);
}

About the author

Jed Hodson

Hmm. Should probably fill this out, or maybe I won’t….

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