Threads#

Introduction#

Threads allow a robot to run multiple tasks simultaneously within the same program. They enable multitasking, letting the robot perform independent actions at the same time.

Note: You must first define a function to use it with a thread.

Constructor – Create and start new threads.

  • Thread – Starts a new thread that runs the specified function in parallel with the main program.

Action – Control running threads.

  • stop – Stops a thread manually, useful for halting background behavior.

Constructor#

Thread#

Thread creates and starts a thread. When you create a thread, you can name it to manage it individually in your project.

Usage:

my_thread = Thread(my_function)

Parameters

Description

my_thread

Optional. A name for the new thread.

my_function

The name of a previously defined function.

Note: A function must always be defined before it is called.

# Drive forward while blinking lights
def blink_lights():
    while True:
        robot.led.on(ALL_LEDS, RED)
        wait(0.5, SECONDS)
        robot.led.on(ALL_LEDS, BLUE)
        wait(0.5, SECONDS)
blink_lights_thread = Thread(blink_lights)
robot.move_at(0)


# Run multiple threads simultaneously
# Turn right, blink lights and display heading at once
def blink_lights():
    while True:
        robot.led.on(ALL_LEDS, RED)
        wait(0.5, SECONDS)
        robot.led.on(ALL_LEDS, GREEN)
        wait(0.5, SECONDS)

def display_heading():
    while True:
        robot.screen.clear_row()
        robot.screen.set_cursor(1, 1)
        robot.screen.print(f"Heading: {robot.inertial.get_yaw()}")
        wait(50, MSEC)

blink_lights_thread = Thread(blink_lights)     
display_heading_thread = Thread(display_heading)
robot.turn(RIGHT)

Action#

stop#

stop stops a thread manually, which is useful when a task is no longer needed or when a program needs to reset or reassign threads. Once a thread is stopped, it cannot be restarted. To run it again, you must create a new thread using Thread.

Usage:

my_thread.stop()

Parameters

Description

my_thread

A previously started thread object. This is the name assigned when the thread was created using Thread.

 
"""
Run multiple threads simultaneously
Turn right, blink lights and display heading at once
Stop blinking lights after 2 seconds
"""
def blink_lights():
    while True:
        robot.led.on(ALL_LEDS, RED)
        wait(0.5, SECONDS)
        robot.led.off(ALL_LEDS)
        wait(0.5, SECONDS)

def display_heading():
    while True:
        robot.screen.clear_row()
        robot.screen.set_cursor(1, 1)
        robot.screen.print(f"Heading: {robot.inertial.get_yaw()}")
        wait(50, MSEC)

blink_lights_thread = Thread(blink_lights)     
display_heading_thread = Thread(display_heading)
robot.turn(RIGHT)

wait(2, SECONDS)
blink_lights_thread.stop()
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