Run multiple for loops in separate functions simultaneously?

I've been cobbling together a control program for a system and trying to build it into a nice and easy to use graphical interface, but I'm a bit past my depth of understanding and need some advice.

I essentially have a function, moveMotors() that sends coordinates to an arduino to move a pair of stepper motors and acquire a column of data, data = acquireData(), at different indexed locations. I then want to send that data matrix through another set of functions to do some conditiong and then plot it as it's acquired. But while the moveMotors() function is running, I can't run other functions unless I call them inside one my moveMotors() for loops.

The root of the question is: how can I have multiple functions running simultaneously and still pass data between them? I know you can write to and read from user interface work spaces with setappdata() and getappdata() and the appropriate handles, but I don't know of a way to do this and run functions in parallel.

Thanks all.

Answer 1

[Sean de Wolski]

Use a timer. The timer will periodically fire calling the arduino method which can then call a plot update as necessary. I'd do this with Nested Functions for data management.