Why CPU usage increase to 100% ?

[Hiloshi]

Dear Sirs,

I use RPi3 to run a qt project, basically use UART to collect data as below:

void MainWindow::UART_Receiver2()
{

    UART_Read_Buffer = UART_Read_Buffer + serial->readAll().toHex();  //QByteArray

    if(UART_Read_Buffer.count()>63)
    {
    //--------------------------------------------    
        elapse_time++;
        QString s = QString::number(elapse_time);  
        Mychart->axisX()->setTitleText(s);
    //-------------------------------------------
        UART_Read_Buffer.clear();
    }
}

At beginning I also use QChar,QChartView and QSplineSeries to draw diagram, however I found that the CPU usage too high, so I remove almost everything just leave UART as above.
However, CPU usage still increase from 6% to 100% in 20 minutes.

Any idea what cause this situation ?

PS. I use pidstat to monitor the CPU usage, everyone can download the log file from:https://www.dropbox.com/s/r7t0256jm4vfe4j/cpustat.txt?dl=0

Any suggestion will very appreciate~

[SGaist]

Hi,

How fast are you getting these data ?

[Hiloshi]

Dear @SGaist ,

Baud rate is 115200, the sensor will send 32bytes data to RPi3 for every 800ms automatically.

Thanks,

[SGaist]

Doesn't looks like that's the culprit then. What else are you doing with that application ?

[Hiloshi]

Dear @SGaist ,

It should be nothing else in the application. But in order to make sure everything is under control, I will make a new project and put UART communication only then test again.

Thanks,

[Hiloshi]

Dear @SGaist ,

I create a new project for the test: https://github.com/hiloshi/CPUTest , I still see the CPU usage increase to 100%.
The CPU usage is https://www.dropbox.com/s/ki42n1ee32vi7r5/UARTCPU.txt?dl=0

If I only add UART, the CPU usage will not exceed 1%, however, after I add QChart,QSplineSeries,etc.
(Line 38-63: CPUTest/mainwindow.cpp )
The CPU usage start increase, even I only do axisX()->setTitleText(s), not really draw curve.

Is there something wrong with "Mychart->axisX()->setTitleText(s);" ?
or shouldn't draw "QChart" inside the UART slot ?

Any suggestions would be very appreciate~

[SGaist]

You should try to profile your application in order to determine where the hop spots are in your application.

[Hiloshi]

Dear @SGaist ,

When MainWindow create, system will also new a serialport instance and connect to UART receiver:

serial = new QSerialPort(this);
connect(serial, &QSerialPort::readyRead, this, &MainWindow::UART_Receiver2);

Then I put two widget on the mainwindow by QTCreater, one is pushbutton, another is tabWidget.
Inside the pushbutton, two major task will be done:

1. UART initialize (ttyUSB0, 115200/8N1N)
2. QSplineSeries, QSplineSeries and QChartView initialize. then put this QChartView to a new tab,

 MyvLayout->addWidget(MychartView);
 Mywidget->setLayout(MyvLayout);
ui->tabWidget->addTab(Mywidget,"Chart");

In the meanwhile, tab3 will be generated and show a blank diagram.
System waiting UART input, sensor will output 32byes data to RPi3 every 800ms.

Inside the UART Receive slot is:

    UART_Read_Buffer = UART_Read_Buffer + serial->readAll().toHex();

    if(UART_Read_Buffer.count()>63)
    {

    //--------------------------------------------   
        elapse_time++;
        QString s = QString::number(elapse_time);        
        Mychart->axisX()->setTitleText(s);    
    //-------------------------------------------
        UART_Read_Buffer.clear();
}

System will keep receive data, I will show numbers of received data and display on axisX().
Therefore, this value will increase by 1 after every 32bytes.

Then I can monitor the CPU usage increase to 100%.

If comment out Mychart->axisX()->setTitleText(s); , the CPU usage will not keep increase.
So I think maybe there are something wrong with the way I use QChartView.

Any help will be appreciate,

[jsulm]

@Hiloshi You could try to increase less often - for example after every 128 bytes.

[kuzulis]

1. Just do not use QtCharts, use Qwt instead and you will be surprised with performance changing.
2. Do not use UART_Read_Buffer, because data already buffered inside of QSP (just use serial->bytesAvailable() to know how much data ready for read).

PS: You can simplify the MainWindow::UART_Receiver2 slot:

void MainWindow::UART_Receiver2()
{
    QByteArray dummy = serial->readAll();
}

to check, how much CPU usage will be in this case..

[Hiloshi]

Dear @jsulm ,

Thank you very much.

I change 128 to decrease draw speed of the QChart. The result is become 65minutes to 100%.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dmi8d84p48qjug1/UARTCPU2.txt?dl=0

Hmmm....

[Hiloshi]

Dear @kuzulis ,

Thanks for the suggestions, I will test Qwt and change uart read method.

I was wondering why CPU usage keep increase. Even if QChart spend 60% CPU power, it should not keep increase to 100%, isn't it ?

[kuzulis]

Even if QChart spend 60% CPU power, it should not keep increase to 100%, isn't it ?

Try to do tests without of QtCharts, just with pure UART_Receiver2 slot(), as I wrote before, to look on CPU loading. And then, try to add something other code...

PS: QtCharts - is a bad choose, as it is too slow and also consume many CPU resources. F.e. from my experience, with Qwt I have ~4-5% CPU loading, but with QtCharts I have ~20-50% CPU loading. And I have similar proportions in RAM consuming - QtCharts eat a RAM in ~5-10 times more than Qwt. Besides, has a memory leaks...

[Hiloshi]

Dear @kuzulis ,

I make some test as below:

1. RPi3+Debian+QSerialPort(800ms)+QTabWidget+QChart-->20mins to 100%
2. RPi3+Debian+QSerialPort(800ms)+QChart -->about 20mins to 100%
3. RPi3+Debian+QTimer(1000ms)+QChart --> 35ms to 100%
4. Corei5+WIN8+QTimer(1000ms)+QChart--> test over 1hr under 20%

My conclusion in the rough is QChart maybe has something wrong on Armv7 or debian....

I will continue to test Qwt.

[Hiloshi]

Dear @kuzulis ,

After testing Qwt for the same project, the CPU usage stable under 3%.
It is huge difference compare to the QChart performance.

Thanks for the suggestion.