Is there an alternative for sleep() in C?

c sleep delay
Manoj Doubts picture Manoj Doubts · Nov 5, 2008 · Viewed 51.4k times · Source

In traditional embedded programming, we will give a delay function like so:

for(i=0;i<255;i++)
   for(j=0;j<255;j++);

In the microprocessor's view, is this how the sleep() function works?

Is there an alternative for the sleep() function in C?

Answer

Chris Jester-Young picture Chris Jester-Young · Nov 5, 2008

The kind of loop you describe is called a "busy wait". In real operating systems, sleeping does not cause a busy wait; it tells the operating system to not schedule the process in until the sleep period is over.

Related questions

implement time delay in c

I don't know exactly how to word a search for this.. so I haven't had any luck finding anything.. :S I need to implement a time delay in C. for example I want to do some stuff, then wait say 1 …

Read More
What is the proper #include for the function 'sleep()'?

I am using the Big Nerd Ranch book Objective-C Programming, and it starts out by having us write in C in the first few chapters. In one of my programs it has me create, I use the sleep function. In …

Read More
Is there an alternative sleep function in C to milliseconds?

I have some source code that was compiled on Windows. I am converting it to run on Red Hat Linux. The source code has included the <windows.h> header file and the programmer has used the Sleep() function …

Read More