Seeking Help for Code Explanation

[Beginner1987]

Hi there,
I am new to c programming and I am current studying the example codes. I am having difficulty to understand the line

lcd_data(s+48);

. I wish to know what does this line meas and what will it done.

Here is the full codes:

//Program to interface IR sensor using ADC 0804. Set Vref =1.5v for ADC 0804


#include<reg51.h>
#define port P3
#define adc_input P1
#define dataport P0
#define sec 100
sbit rs = port^0;
sbit rw = port^1;
sbit e = port^2;


sbit wr= port^3;
sbit rd= port^4;
sbit intr= port^5;


int test_final=0 ,shift=0;


void delay(unsigned int msec ) // Time delay function
{
int i ,j ;
for(i=0;i<msec;i++)
  for(j=0; j<1275; j++);
}


void lcd_cmd(unsigned char item) // Function to send command to LCD
{
dataport = item;
rs= 0;
rw=0;
e=1;
delay(1);
e=0;
return;
}


void lcd_data(unsigned char item)  // Function to send data to LCD
{
dataport = item;
rs= 1;
rw=0;
e=1;
delay(1);
e=0;
return;
}


void lcd_data_string(unsigned char *str) // Function to send string to LCD
{
int i=0;
while(str[i]!='\0')
{
  lcd_data(str[i]);
  i++;
  delay(1);
}
return;
}


void convert()
{
int s;
lcd_cmd(0x81);
delay(2);
lcd_data_string("output:");
s=test_final/100;
test_final=test_final0;
lcd_cmd(0x8a);
if(s!=0)
lcd_data(s+48);
else
lcd_cmd(0x06);
s=test_final/10;
test_final=test_final;
lcd_data(s+48);
lcd_data(test_final+48);
lcd_data(' ');
if(shift>16)
{
lcd_cmd(0xc0+(shift-1));
lcd_data_string("       ");
shift=0; 
}
lcd_cmd(0xc0+(shift-1));
lcd_data(' ');
lcd_cmd(0xc0+shift);
lcd_data_string("CALIBRATE IT");
delay(30);
}


void main()
{
adc_input=0xff;
lcd_cmd(0x38);  //2 Line, 5X7 Matrix
lcd_cmd(0x0c);  //Display On, Cursor Blink
delay(2);
lcd_cmd(0x01);  // Clear Screen
delay(2);
lcd_cmd(0x81);  // Setting cursor to first position of first line
delay(2);
while(1)
{
  shift++;
  delay(1);
  rd=1;
  wr=0;
  delay(1);
  wr=1;
  while(intr==1);
  rd=0;
  test_final=adc_input;
  delay(1);
  intr=1;
  convert();
}
}

Please guide me through and I will appreciate it very much.

[grumpy]

That code is highly specific to ADC 0804 and your IR sensor. You will need to read documentation for those to find out what the value 48 represents. The fact the code is a (bastardised) C does not mean that C programmers can explain what that code does.

48 in that code is what is called a "magic number" - something that is meaningless voodoo unless you happen to be able to read the mind of the programmer who wrote the code.

Adding 48 is presumably doing some mapping that makes sense if you have detailed knowledge of the ADC 0804 and your IR sensor.

[CommonTater]

Hi there,
I am new to c programming and I am current studying the example codes. I am having difficulty to understand the line

lcd_data(s+48);

. I wish to know what does this line meas and what will it done.

A question... Are you studying C as a general programming language or as some specific dialect for this particular microcontroller chip?

If you are studying generalized C, this is a truly horrible example.

On the other hand if you are studying specifically about this uC chip it might be just what you need.


As Grumpy (who is well named, btw) points out just because it says it's C code doesn't mean we magically understand it.

The code in question calls the lcd_data function that begins on line 42 with a parameter value of s+48 ... So if s = 5 it calls the function with 53... Inside the function the value is assigned to dataport (which is defined as p0) and I have no idea what the rest of it is doing. My guess is that it displays a digit on the lcd display but without studying the uC's documentation I cannot be sure of anything.