AVR Timer/Counter
Prof Prabhat Ranjan
DA-IICT, Gandhinagar
8-bit Timer/Counter0
with PWM
Single Compare Unit Counter
Clear Timer on Compare Match (Auto Reload)
Glitch-free, Phase Correct Pulse Width Modulator
(PWM)
Frequency Generator
External Event Counter
10-bit Clock Prescaler
Overflow and Compare Match Interrupt Sources
(TOV0 and OCF0)
16-bit Timer/Counter
The 16-bit Timer/Counter unit allows accurate
program execution timing (event management),
wave generation, and signal timing measurement.
The main features are:
True 16-bit Design (i.e., Allows 16-bit PWM)
Two Independent Output Compare Units
Double Buffered Output Compare Registers
One Input Capture Unit
Input Capture Noise Canceler
Clear Timer on Compare Match (Auto Reload)
16-bit Timer/Counter
Glitch-free, Phase Correct Pulse Width Modulator
(PWM)
Variable PWM Period
Frequency Generator
External Event Counter
Four Independent Interrupt Sources (TOV1, OCF1A,
OCF1B, and ICF1)
8-bit Timer/Counter2
General purpose, single compare unit, 8-bit
Timer/Counter module
Single Compare unit Counter
Clear Timer on Compare Match (Auto Reload
Glitch-free, Phase Correct Pulse Width Modulator
(PWM)
Frequency Generator
10-bit Clock Prescaler
Overflow and Compare Match Interrupt Sources
(TOV2 and OCF2)
Allows clocking from External 32 kHz Watch
Based on
Newbie's Guide to AVR Timers - Dean Camera
Introduction
AVR timers are very versatile but at the same time
complex
Asynchronous to man AVR core
Separate circuits on the AVR chip which can run
independent of the main program, interacting via
the control and count registers, and the timer
interrupts
Timers can be configured to produce outputs directly
to pre-determined pins, reducing the processing
load on the AVR core
Like all digital systems, the timer requires a clock in
order to function
As each clock pulse increments the timer's counter
by one, the timer measures intervals in periods of
one on the input frequency:
Code: Timer Resolution = (1 / Input Frequency)
Smallest amount of time - one period of the
incoming clock signal. If we supply a 100Hz signal :
Code: Timer Resolution = (1 / Input Frequency)
Timer Resolution = (1 / 100)
Timer Resolution = .01 seconds
ATMega16@1 MHz
Assume the target to be a MEGA16, running at at
1MHz clock.
Modern AVRs come running off their internal
~1MHz RC oscillator by default (will be slightly
incorrect due to the RC frequency tolerance).
In the sections dealing with toggling a LED, it is
assumed to be connected to PORTB
Simple Example
(Flash LED every 1/20 s)
int main (void) {
DDRB |= (1 << 0); // Set LED as output
TCCR1B |= (1 << CS10); // Set up timer
for (;;) {
// Check timer value in if statement, true when count matches 1/20 of a
second
if (TCNT1 >= 49999) { PORTB ^= (1 << 0); // Toggle the LED
TCNT1=0 : //Reset timer value
}
}
}
Timer/Counter1 Control Register B
TCCR1B
Bit 2:0 CS12:0: Clock Select
Bit 4:3 WGM13:2: Waveform Generation Mode
Bit 5 Reserved Bit
Bit 6 ICES1: Input Capture Edge Select
Bit 7 ICNC1: Input Capture Noise Canceler
Clock Select Bit (CSxx)
Prescaler Value | Resolution @ 1MHz
1uS
8uS
64
64uS
256
256uS
1024
1024uS
Value to count
1/20 s = 0.05 s
Clock minimum interval = 1 s = 1.e-06 s
Count = 0.05 s/ (1.e-06 s) = 50000 -1 = 49999
Pre-scaled Timer
Need to measure longer interval, you can prescale
clock before bring fed to timer
If you want to create exact 1 second
Prescaler Value | Target Timer Count
1
| 999999
| 125000
64
| 15624
256
| 3905.25
1024
| 975.5625
int main (void) {
DDRB |= (1 << 0); // Set LED as output
TCCR1B |= ((1 << CS10) | (1 << CS11)); // Set up
timer at Fcpu/64
for (;;) { // Check timer value in if statement, true when
count matches 1 second
if (TCNT1 >= 15624)
{ PORTB ^= (1 << 0); // Toggle the LED
TCNT1 = 0; // Reset timer value } } }
CTC Timer Mode
CTC Clear on Timer Compare
Compares in hardware the current timer value
against the wanted value, and when the wanted
value is reached a flag in a status register is set and
the timer's value reset
Handy - comparing is done in hardware checking
status register much faster than comparing bytes
Pseudo Code
Set up LED hardware
Set up timer in CTC mode
Set timer compare value to one second
WHILE forever
IF CTC flag IS EQUAL TO 1
THEN Toggle LED Clear CTC flag
END IF
END WHILE
DDRB |= (1 << 0); // Set LED as output
TCCR1B |= (1 << WGM12); // Configure timer 1
for CTC mode
OCR1A = 15624; // Set CTC compare value to 1 Hz
at 1 MHz AVR clock, with a prescaler of 64
TCCR1B |= ((1 << CS10) | (1 << CS11)); // Start
timer at Fcpu/64
for (;;) {
if (TIFR & (1 << OCF1A))
{ PORTB ^= (1 << 0); // Toggle the LED
TIFR = (1 << OCF1A); // clear the CTC flag
(writing a logic one to the set flag clears it)
}}
CTC Mode using Interrupts
AVR timers can have several different Interrupts
Overflow
Compare
Capture
Consider only the Compare interrupt, which occurs
in CTC mode when the compare value is reached
Pseudocode
Set up LED hardware
Set up timer in CTC mode
Enable CTC interrupt
Enable global interrupts
Set timer compare value to one second
WHILE forever
END WHILE
ISR Timer Compare
Toggle LED
END ISR
Setting Registers
DDRB |= (1 << 0); // Set LED as output
TCCR1B |= (1 << WGM12); // Configure timer 1 for
CTC mode
TIMSK |= (1 << OCIE1A); // Enable CTC interrupt
sei(); // Enable global interrupts
OCR1A = 15624; // Set CTC compare value to 1Hz at
1MHz AVR clock, with a prescaler of 64
TCCR1B |= ((1 << CS10) | (1 << CS11)); // Start timer
at Fcpu/64
for (;;) { }
ISR
ISR(TIMER1_COMPA_vect) {
PORTB ^= (1 << 0); // Toggle the LED
}
PURE HARDWARE CTC
Look at COM1A1/COM1A0 and COM1B1/COM1B0
Allow us to control the hardware behaviour when a compare occurs
Configured to set, clear or toggle the OCxy (where "x" - timer
number, "y" - channel letter for timers with more than one channel)
hardware pins when a compare occurs.
Output Compare Pins
OC0 -> PB3
OC1B -> PD4
OC1A -> PD5
OC2 -> PD7
Code Fragment
DDRD |= (1 << 5); // Set LED as output
TCCR1B |= (1 << WGM12); // Configure timer 1 for CTC mode
TCCR1A |= (1 << COM1A0); // Enable timer 1 Compare Output
channel A in toggle
mode OCR1A = 15624; // Set CTC compare value to 1Hz at 1MHz
AVR clock, with a prescaler of 64
TCCR1B |= ((1 << CS10) | (1 << CS11)); // Start timer at Fcpu/64
for (;;) { }
Pulse Width Modulation
Ref : http://extremeelectronics.co.in/avr-tutorials/
PWM Waveform Terms
12.5% Duty Cycle
AVR Timer/Counter Sequence for fast
PWM
Output Compare Register - OCR0
PWM Generation
