每x秒调用一次方法的最佳实践是哪种？

Question

I have a program that controls and communicate with a microprocessor. The program sends commands to the microprocessor and receives the feedback at the same time the command is sent showing the same in various text boxes.This is activated/fired by the command control. I need now to implement some feedback that is not related to the command and therefore is not activated by the user, (current and temperature measurement) but is relevant the status of the machine controlled by the micro. I do not like the idea to time the message to be sent on the micro side, I would rather receive the information and process the same every x seconds on the pc side. In this way I can also include a selector for different update intervals. I am controlling a motor and a heater.

The question is: which is the best practice to call the relevant classes to process such messages( current and temperature), timer, new thread with timer, backgroundworker,something else?

Answer 1

Interface: I recommend you create something like startPoll() and endPoll() inside your controller class: This is the only place, where all necessary information to avoid multiple-call, interleaving etc. are in scope.

Implementation: I recommend spinning off a dedicated thread: The thread pool and other built-in mechanisms are not designed for work, that has a high degree of independance from the rest of the app (such as communicating with other hardware). This thread could be started by startPoll() and signalled to end by endPoll() .

Timer: I definitly do NOT recommend using a timer - you go straight into parallel-call-hell, if one check takes longer than the wait for the next check (or you need plumbing code to avoid that). I recommend you calculate the ealiest next start time before you start your work cycle, then when finished WaitOne() on the stop signal for the remaining time.

Answer 2

I guess a timer will solve it.. But not any timer, but the one in System.Threading namespace.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.threading.timer.aspx

Answer 3

Following your advices I have implemented this code:

        public Form1()
        {
        InitializeComponent();
        System.Windows.Forms.Timer timer = new System.Windows.Forms.Timer();
        timer.Tick += OnTimerTick;
        timer.Interval = 5000;
        timer.Start();
        }
        private void OnTimerTick(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
        // I will fire the events here
         MessageBox.Show("5 seconds elapsed");
        }

the code is obviously working but I am not sure if this is in line with your advices.