DHT11 and Pulse sensor incompatibility?

Question

I am working on an IoT project to send data acquired from DHT11 and PulseSensor to a website. I can send the data properly when I use each of sensors alone but when I write a wrapper to use both sensors simultaneously, DHT11 returns check-sum error. PulseSensor uses interrupt based on TIMER2 , whenever I remove interruptSetup(); from setup block the problem is solved but obviously the PulseSensor does not work in this case. I searched inside the DHT11 library, as far as I could understand it does not use any Timer or interrupt to make a conflict with PulseSensor requirements. This project use to serial port to communicate with PC for debugging and another one to communicate with ESP8266. Please help me in finding a solution for this problem. Or guide me to websites that Arduino gurus track more :)

#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <dht.h>
dht DHT;
//DHT11 PIN
#define DHT11_PIN 5
// LED 
int ledPin = 13;
// Heart_Sensor_Variables
int pulsePin = 0; // Pulse Sensor purple wire connected to analog pin 0
int blinkPin = 10; // pin to blink led at each beat
// Volatile Variables, used in the interrupt service routine!
volatile int BPM; // int that holds raw Analog in 0. updated every 2mS
volatile int Signal; // holds the incoming raw data
volatile int IBI = 600; // int that holds the time interval between beats! Must be seeded! 
volatile boolean Pulse = false; // "True" when User's live heartbeat is detected. "False" when not a "live beat". 
volatile boolean QS = false; // becomes true when Arduoino finds a beat.
//ISR variables
volatile int rate[10]; // array to hold last ten IBI values
volatile unsigned long sampleCounter = 0; // used to determine pulse timing
volatile unsigned long lastBeatTime = 0; // used to find IBI
volatile int P =512; // used to find peak in pulse wave, seeded
volatile int T = 512; // used to find trough in pulse wave, seeded
volatile int thresh = 525; // used to find instant moment of heart beat, seeded
volatile int amp = 100; // used to hold amplitude of pulse waveform, seeded
volatile boolean firstBeat = true; // used to seed rate array so we startup with reasonable BPM
volatile boolean secondBeat = false; // used to seed rate array so we startup with reasonable BPM
//function Prototypes
void interruptSetup(void);
//Thingspeak API key
String apiKey = "REMOVED FOR SECURITY REASONS";
// connect 11 to TX of Serial USB
// connect 12 to RX of serial USB
SoftwareSerial ser(11, 12); // RX, TX
// this runs once
void setup() { 
 // initialize the digital pin as an output.
 pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); 
 // enable debug serial
 Serial.begin(57600); 
 // enable software serial
 ser.begin(57600);
 // reset ESP8266
 Serial.println("AT+RST");
 // sets up to read Pulse Sensor signal every 2mS 
 interruptSetup(); 
}
// the loop 
void loop() {
 // blink LED on board
 digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH); 
 delay(200); 
 digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
//Read DH11 Data
 int chk = DHT.read11(DHT11_PIN);
// DISPLAY DATA
switch(chk) {
 case 0: ser.println("OK"); break;
 case -1: ser.println("Checksum error!"); break;
}
 ser.print(DHT.humidity, 1);
 ser.print(",\t");
 ser.println(DHT.temperature, 1);
if (QS == true){ // A Heartbeat Was Found
 ser.println("BPM and IBI have been Determined");
 ser.println(BPM, 1);
 ser.println(IBI, 1);
 // BPM and IBI have been Determined
 // Quantified Self "QS" true when arduino finds a heartbeat
 digitalWrite(blinkPin,HIGH); // Blink LED, we got a beat. 
 QS = false; // reset the Quantified Self flag for next time 
 }
 // TCP connection
 String cmd = "AT+CIPSTART=\"TCP\",\"";
 cmd += "184.106.153.149"; // api.thingspeak.com
 cmd += "\",80";
 Serial.println(cmd);
 delay(1000);
 if(Serial.find("Error")){
 ser.println("AT+CIPSTART error");
 return;
 }
 // prepare GET string
 String getStr = "GET /update?api_key=";
 getStr += apiKey;
 getStr +="&field1=";
 getStr += String(DHT.humidity);
 getStr +="&field2=";
 getStr += String(DHT.temperature);
 getStr +="&field3=";
 getStr += String(BPM);
 getStr +="&field4=";
 getStr += String(IBI);
 getStr += "\r\n\r\n";
 // send data length
 cmd = "AT+CIPSEND=";
 cmd += String(getStr.length());
 Serial.println(cmd);
 delay(500);
 if(Serial.find(">")){
 Serial.print(getStr);
 }
 else{
 Serial.println("AT+CIPCLOSE");
 // alert user
 ser.println("AT+CIPCLOSE");
 }
 // thingspeak needs 15 sec delay between updates
 delay(16000);
}
void interruptSetup(){ 
 // Initializes Timer2 to throw an interrupt every 2mS.
 TCCR2A = 0x02; // DISABLE PWM ON DIGITAL PINS 3 AND 11, AND GO INTO CTC MODE
 TCCR2B = 0x06; // DON'T FORCE COMPARE, 256 PRESCALER 
 OCR2A = 0X7C; // SET THE TOP OF THE COUNT TO 124 FOR 500Hz SAMPLE RATE
 TIMSK2 = 0x02; // ENABLE INTERRUPT ON MATCH BETWEEN TIMER2 AND OCR2A
 sei(); // MAKE SURE GLOBAL INTERRUPTS ARE ENABLED 
} 
// THIS IS THE TIMER 2 INTERRUPT SERVICE ROUTINE. 
// Timer 2 makes sure that we take a reading every 2 miliseconds
ISR(TIMER2_COMPA_vect){ // triggered when Timer2 counts to 124
 cli(); // disable interrupts while we do this
 Signal = analogRead(pulsePin); // read the Pulse Sensor 
 sampleCounter += 2; // keep track of the time in mS with this variable
 int N = sampleCounter - lastBeatTime; // monitor the time since the last beat to avoid noise
 // find the peak and trough of the pulse wave
 if(Signal < thresh && N > (IBI/5)*3){ // avoid dichrotic noise by waiting 3/5 of last IBI
 if (Signal < T){ // T is the trough
 T = Signal; // keep track of lowest point in pulse wave 
 }
 }
 if(Signal > thresh && Signal > P){ // thresh condition helps avoid noise
 P = Signal; // P is the peak
 } // keep track of highest point in pulse wave
 // NOW IT'S TIME TO LOOK FOR THE HEART BEAT
 // signal surges up in value every time there is a pulse
 if (N > 250){ // avoid high frequency noise
 if ( (Signal > thresh) && (Pulse == false) && (N > (IBI/5)*3) ){ 
 Pulse = true; // set the Pulse flag when we think there is a pulse
 digitalWrite(blinkPin,HIGH); // turn on pin 13 LED
 IBI = sampleCounter - lastBeatTime; // measure time between beats in mS
 lastBeatTime = sampleCounter; // keep track of time for next pulse
 if(secondBeat){ // if this is the second beat, if secondBeat == TRUE
 secondBeat = false; // clear secondBeat flag
 for(int i=0; i<=9; i++){ // seed the running total to get a realisitic BPM at startup
 rate[i] = IBI; 
 }
 }
 if(firstBeat){ // if it's the first time we found a beat, if firstBeat == TRUE
 firstBeat = false; // clear firstBeat flag
 secondBeat = true; // set the second beat flag
 sei(); // enable interrupts again
 return; // IBI value is unreliable so discard it
 } 
 // keep a running total of the last 10 IBI values
 word runningTotal = 0; // clear the runningTotal variable 
 for(int i=0; i<=8; i++){ // shift data in the rate array
 rate[i] = rate[i+1]; // and drop the oldest IBI value 
 runningTotal += rate[i]; // add up the 9 oldest IBI values
 }
 rate[9] = IBI; // add the latest IBI to the rate array
 runningTotal += rate[9]; // add the latest IBI to runningTotal
 runningTotal /= 10; // average the last 10 IBI values 
 BPM = 60000/runningTotal; // how many beats can fit into a minute? that's BPM!
 QS = true; // set Quantified Self flag 
 // QS FLAG IS NOT CLEARED INSIDE THIS ISR
 } 
 }
 if (Signal < thresh && Pulse == true){ // when the values are going down, the beat is over
 digitalWrite(blinkPin,LOW); // turn off pin 13 LED
 Pulse = false; // reset the Pulse flag so we can do it again
 amp = P - T; // get amplitude of the pulse wave
 thresh = amp/2 + T; // set thresh at 50% of the amplitude
 P = thresh; // reset these for next time
 T = thresh;
 }
 if (N > 2500){ // if 2.5 seconds go by without a beat
 thresh = 512; // set thresh default
 P = 512; // set P default
 T = 512; // set T default
 lastBeatTime = sampleCounter; // bring the lastBeatTime up to date 
 firstBeat = true; // set these to avoid noise
 secondBeat = false; // when we get the heartbeat back
 }
 sei(); // enable interrupts when youre done!
}// end isr

Answer 1

The DHT requires some precise timing on its one-wire interface e.g. a>40us HIGH pulse == 1, while a <40us HIGH pulse == 0. Your DHT library doesnt use interrupts directly but it does use micros() which is based on regular interrupts, which are disabled automatically when you are within the TIMER2 ISR (no need for your explicit cli() and sei(), by the way). If you waste too much time in your ISR, you'll miss bits/pulses on the DHT line and obtain incorrect data, hence your checksum error.

The simplest solution I can think of is to disable the TIMER2 interrupt before the read11() call and enable it again after. I dont have much experience with AVR interrupts but I think this small change should do it:

#define TIM2_EN() (TIMSK2 = 0x02)
#define TIM2_DIS() (TIMSK2 = 0x00)
// your code as usual
void loop(){
 // ...as before...
 TIM2_DIS(); //Enable TIMER2 Interrupt
 //Read DH11 Data
 int chk = DHT.read11(DHT11_PIN);
 TIM2_EN(); //Disable TIMER2 Interrupt
 //...as before...
}
// your code as before

• Puya: You are totally right. I applied your suggestion and it solved the problem. There is no more check-sum error after disabling TIMER2 interrupt.Thank you. By the way, Do you have any general methodology in your mind to avoid this kind of conflicts when installing several sensors? I mean is there any pattern to follow in writing flaw-less codes?
• SoreDakeNoKoto: @PuyaAmiri The only way is to take care to understand the workings of the libraries you depend on, else some unknown detail will blindside u. Libraries for sensors that employ SPI may clash if they use different SPI modes for example. Or libraries for sensors that use SoftwareSerial will require u to listen() to each port in turns. Interrupts, as you've seen, can also be problematic in subtle ways. If you will be using a bunch of libraries written by others and not your own code, then its essential that u get at least some general understanding of how they work.

Answer 2

// THIS IS THE TIMER 2 INTERRUPT SERVICE ROUTINE. 
// Timer 2 makes sure that we take a reading every 2 miliseconds
ISR(TIMER2_COMPA_vect){ // triggered when Timer2 counts to 124
 cli(); // disable interrupts while we do this
 Signal = analogRead(pulsePin); // read the Pulse Sensor

Interrupts are automatically disabled in an ISR.

Don't do lengthy things in an ISR (like analogRead). That takes 104 μs when an ISR should take only a few μs.

• Puya: But when a kind of exact signal sampling is needed the first thing that comes to my mind is using a TIMER and writing corresponding ISR . So, you mean it is possible to use timer over flow flag out of ISR ?!