Wake-up from sleep with interrupt in Arduino - Time & Space Complexity

Time Complexity: Wake-up from sleep with interrupt

O(n)

Understanding Time Complexity

When using sleep mode with interrupts on Arduino, we want to know how the program's running time changes as input or events happen.

We ask: How often does the code run and how does that affect time?

Scenario Under Consideration

Analyze the time complexity of the following code snippet.

#include <avr/sleep.h>

volatile bool wokeUp = false;

void wakeUp() {
  wokeUp = true; // interrupt sets flag
}

void setup() {
  pinMode(2, INPUT_PULLUP);
  attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(2), wakeUp, FALLING);
}

void loop() {
  set_sleep_mode(SLEEP_MODE_PWR_DOWN);
  sleep_enable();
  sleep_cpu(); // sleeps until interrupt
  sleep_disable();
  if (wokeUp) {
    // do something after wake-up
    wokeUp = false;
  }
}

This code puts the Arduino to sleep and wakes it up when a button press triggers an interrupt.

Identify Repeating Operations

Identify the loops, recursion, array traversals that repeat.

• Primary operation: The loop() function runs repeatedly, but most time is spent sleeping.
• How many times: It runs once per wake-up event, which depends on external interrupts (button presses).

How Execution Grows With Input

The program mostly sleeps, so execution time depends on how often the interrupt happens.

Input Size (n)	Approx. Operations
10 interrupts	Runs loop 10 times
100 interrupts	Runs loop 100 times
1000 interrupts	Runs loop 1000 times

Pattern observation: The number of operations grows linearly with the number of interrupts (events).

Final Time Complexity

Time Complexity: O(n)

This means the program runs once for each interrupt event, so time grows directly with the number of wake-ups.

Common Mistake

[X] Wrong: "The loop runs continuously and uses a lot of CPU time even when sleeping."

[OK] Correct: The CPU actually sleeps and does almost no work until an interrupt wakes it, so time spent running code depends on interrupts, not continuous looping.

Interview Connect

Understanding how interrupts affect program flow and timing shows you can write efficient code that waits for events without wasting time.

Self-Check

"What if we replaced the interrupt with a polling check inside the loop? How would the time complexity change?"

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of using an interrupt to wake an Arduino from sleep mode?

easy

A. To allow the Arduino to respond immediately to an external event while saving power

B. To make the Arduino run faster during normal operation

C. To reset the Arduino automatically after a delay

D. To increase the Arduino's memory capacity

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand sleep mode purpose

   Arduino sleep mode reduces power consumption by stopping most activities.

2. Step 2: Role of interrupts in sleep mode

   Interrupts allow the Arduino to wake up immediately when an external event occurs, saving power while staying responsive.

3. Final Answer:

   To allow the Arduino to respond immediately to an external event while saving power -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Interrupt wakes Arduino from sleep to save power [OK]

Hint: Interrupts wake Arduino instantly during sleep to save power [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking interrupts speed up normal running
• Confusing interrupts with reset functions
• Believing interrupts increase memory

2. Which of the following is the correct way to attach an interrupt to pin 2 that triggers on a RISING signal?

easy

A. attachInterrupt(2, ISR, FALLING);

B. attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(2), ISR, RISING);

C. attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(3), ISR, CHANGE);

D. attachInterrupt(2, ISR, LOW);

Solution

1. Step 1: Use digitalPinToInterrupt() for pin mapping

   Pin 2 must be converted using digitalPinToInterrupt(2) for portability.

2. Step 2: Set correct trigger mode

   RISING triggers interrupt when signal goes from LOW to HIGH.

3. Final Answer:

   attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(2), ISR, RISING); -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Correct pin and RISING trigger = attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(2), ISR, RISING); [OK]

Hint: Always use digitalPinToInterrupt(pin) with correct trigger [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using pin number directly without digitalPinToInterrupt()
• Choosing wrong trigger mode like FALLING or LOW
• Attaching interrupt to wrong pin number

3. What will be the output on the serial monitor after running this code if a button connected to pin 2 is pressed once?

void ISR() {
  Serial.println("Woke up!");
}

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(2), ISR, RISING);
  sleep_enable();
  sleep_mode();
  Serial.println("Sleeping...");
}

void loop() {
  // Empty loop
}

medium

A. No output at all

B. Woke up!\nSleeping...

C. Sleeping... (no further output)

D. Sleeping...\nWoke up!

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze print locations

   "Sleeping..." prints after sleep_mode(), so it executes after waking up.

2. Step 2: ISR execution order

   ISR prints "Woke up!" immediately upon interrupt, before resuming code after sleep_mode().

3. Final Answer:

   Sleeping...\nWoke up! -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Code after sleep_mode() runs after ISR, so output order is Sleeping... then Woke up! [OK]

Hint: ISR runs immediately on interrupt, but code after sleep_mode() runs after ISR [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking "Sleeping..." prints before sleep
• Believing no output after wake
• Expecting Sleeping... before ISR

4. Identify the error in this code snippet that tries to wake Arduino from sleep on pin 3 interrupt:

void ISR() {
  // Empty ISR
}

void setup() {
  attachInterrupt(3, ISR, FALLING);
  sleep_enable();
  sleep_mode();
}

void loop() {
  // Empty
}

medium

A. attachInterrupt() uses pin number directly instead of digitalPinToInterrupt()

B. ISR function should not be empty

C. sleep_mode() should be called inside loop()

D. sleep_enable() must be called after sleep_mode()

Solution

1. Step 1: Check attachInterrupt() usage

   Pin number must be converted with digitalPinToInterrupt(pin) for correct interrupt mapping.

2. Step 2: Validate other parts

   Empty ISR is allowed; sleep_mode() can be in setup; sleep_enable() must be before sleep_mode().

3. Final Answer:

   attachInterrupt() uses pin number directly instead of digitalPinToInterrupt() -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Pin mapping requires digitalPinToInterrupt() [OK]

Hint: Always convert pin with digitalPinToInterrupt() in attachInterrupt() [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Not using digitalPinToInterrupt() for pin mapping
• Thinking ISR must have code
• Misplacing sleep_enable() call

5. You want to put your Arduino to sleep and wake it up only when a button connected to pin 4 is pressed. Which sequence correctly implements this behavior?

hard

A. attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(4), wakeISR, LOW); sleep_enable(); sleep_mode();

B. attachInterrupt(4, wakeISR, RISING); sleep_disable(); sleep_mode();

C. attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(4), wakeISR, FALLING); sleep_enable(); sleep_mode();

D. attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(4), wakeISR, CHANGE); sleep_enable(); sleep_disable();

Solution

1. Step 1: Attach interrupt correctly

   Use digitalPinToInterrupt(4) and FALLING trigger for button press (assuming active LOW button).

2. Step 2: Enable sleep and enter sleep mode

   Call sleep_enable() before sleep_mode() to allow waking on interrupt.

3. Final Answer:

   attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(4), wakeISR, FALLING); sleep_enable(); sleep_mode(); -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Correct pin, trigger, and sleep calls = attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(4), wakeISR, FALLING); sleep_enable(); sleep_mode(); [OK]

Hint: Use digitalPinToInterrupt() with sleep_enable() before sleep_mode() [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using sleep_disable() before sleep_mode()
• Wrong trigger mode like LOW or CHANGE for button press
• Not enabling sleep before entering sleep_mode()