Timers: Timer0

Tutorial (Part 2)

2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51702A

Note the following details of the code protection feature on Microchip devices:
Microchip products meet the specification contained in their particular Microchip Data Sheet.

Microchip believes that its family of products is one of the most secure families of its kind on the market today, when used in the
intended manner and under normal conditions.

There are dishonest and possibly illegal methods used to breach the code protection feature. All of these methods, to our
knowledge, require using the Microchip products in a manner outside the operating specifications contained in Microchips Data
Sheets. Most likely, the person doing so is engaged in theft of intellectual property.

Microchip is willing to work with the customer who is concerned about the integrity of their code.

Neither Microchip nor any other semiconductor manufacturer can guarantee the security of their code. Code protection does not
mean that we are guaranteeing the product as unbreakable.

Code protection is constantly evolving. We at Microchip are committed to continuously improving the code protection features of our
products. Attempts to break Microchips code protection feature may be a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If such acts
allow unauthorized access to your software or other copyrighted work, you may have a right to sue for relief under that Act.

Information contained in this publication regarding device Trademarks

applications and the like is provided only for your convenience The Microchip name and logo, the Microchip logo, Accuron,
and may be superseded by updates. It is your responsibility to
dsPIC, KEELOQ, KEELOQ logo, MPLAB, PIC, PICmicro,
ensure that your application meets with your specifications.
PICSTART, PRO MATE, rfPIC and SmartShunt are registered
MICROCHIP MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR
trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WHETHER EXPRESS OR
U.S.A. and other countries.
IMPLIED, WRITTEN OR ORAL, STATUTORY OR
OTHERWISE, RELATED TO THE INFORMATION, AmpLab, FilterLab, Linear Active Thermistor, MXDEV,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ITS CONDITION, MXLAB, SEEVAL, SmartSensor and The Embedded Control
QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY OR Solutions Company are registered trademarks of Microchip
FITNESS FOR PURPOSE. Microchip disclaims all liability Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A.
arising from this information and its use. Use of Microchip Analog-for-the-Digital Age, Application Maestro, CodeGuard,
devices in life support and/or safety applications is entirely at dsPICDEM, dsPICDEM.net, dsPICworks, dsSPEAK, ECAN,
the buyers risk, and the buyer agrees to defend, indemnify and ECONOMONITOR, FanSense, In-Circuit Serial
hold harmless Microchip from any and all damages, claims, Programming, ICSP, ICEPIC, Mindi, MiWi, MPASM, MPLAB
suits, or expenses resulting from such use. No licenses are Certified logo, MPLIB, MPLINK, mTouch, PICkit, PICDEM,
conveyed, implicitly or otherwise, under any Microchip PICDEM.net, PICtail, PowerCal, PowerInfo, PowerMate,
intellectual property rights. PowerTool, REAL ICE, rfLAB, Select Mode, Total Endurance,
UNI/O, WiperLock and ZENA are trademarks of Microchip
Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries.
SQTP is a service mark of Microchip Technology Incorporated
in the U.S.A.
All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their
respective companies.
2008, Microchip Technology Incorporated, Printed in the
U.S.A., All Rights Reserved.
Printed on recycled paper.

Microchip received ISO/TS-16949:2002 certification for its worldwide

headquarters, design and wafer fabrication facilities in Chandler and
Tempe, Arizona; Gresham, Oregon and design centers in California
and India. The Companys quality system processes and procedures
are for its PIC MCUs and dsPIC DSCs, KEELOQ code hopping
devices, Serial EEPROMs, microperipherals, nonvolatile memory and
analog products. In addition, Microchips quality system for the design
and manufacture of development systems is ISO 9001:2000 certified.

DS51702A-page ii 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.

 TIMERS TUTORIAL
Preface

NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS
All documentation becomes dated, and this manual is no exception. Microchip tools and
documentation are constantly evolving to meet customer needs, so some actual dialogs
and/or tool descriptions may differ from those in this document. Please refer to our web site
(www.microchip.com) to obtain the latest documentation available.
Documents are identified with a DS number. This number is located on the bottom of each
page, in front of the page number. The numbering convention for the DS number is
DSXXXXXA, where XXXXX is the document number and A is the revision level of the
document.

INTRODUCTION
This chapter contains general information that will be useful to know before using the
Timers Tutorial. Items discussed in this chapter include:
Document Layout
The Microchip Web Site
Customer Support
Document Revision History

DOCUMENT LAYOUT
This document provides an introduction to Timer0.

2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51702A-page 1

Timers Tutorial

THE MICROCHIP WEB SITE

Microchip provides online support via our web site at www.microchip.com. This web
site is used as a means to make files and information easily available to customers.
Accessible by using your favorite Internet browser, the web site contains the following
information:
Product Support Data sheets and errata, application notes and sample
programs, design resources, users guides and hardware support documents,
latest software releases and archived software
General Technical Support Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), technical
support requests, online discussion groups, Microchip consultant program
member listing
Business of Microchip Product selector and ordering guides, latest Microchip
press releases, listing of seminars and events, listings of Microchip sales offices,
distributors and factory representatives

CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Users of Microchip products can receive assistance through several channels:
Distributor or Representative
Local Sales Office
Field Application Engineer (FAE)
Technical Support
Development Systems Information Line
Customers should contact their distributor, representative or field application engineer
(FAE) for support. Local sales offices are also available to help customers. A listing of
sales offices and locations is included in the back of this document.
Technical support is available through the web site at: http://support.microchip.com

DOCUMENT REVISION HISTORY

Revision A (January 2008)
Initial Release of this Document.

DS51702A-page 2 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.

 TIMERS TUTORIAL
Timers: Timer0 Tutorial (Part 2)

OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lab you should be able to:
1. Develop application firmware to generate TMR0 overflow interrupts for specified
time periods.
2. Develop application firmware using an external clock source with the Timer0
module.
3. Develop external Timer0 clock source applications that meet PIC16F690
Electrical Specifications.

PREREQUISITES
In order to successfully complete this lab you should:
1. Understand basic circuit theory.
2. Understand basic digital electronic components such as gates, multiplexers and
memory registers.
3. Understand binary numbering systems and basic binary arithmetic.
4. Have some programming experience in the C Language.
5. Have completed the Introduction to MPLAB IDE/PICC-Lite Compiler
Tutorial (DS41322).
6. Have completed Timers: Timer0 Tutorial (Part1) (DS51682).

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
This lab has been developed so that no hardware is required other than a PC. However,
you will need the following:
1. You will need to download the free MPLAB Integrated Development Environment
available at the following url:
http://www.microchip.com
When prompted, unzip the contents of the file into a temporary folder on your
desktop and then install.
2. Install the free HI-TECH PICC-LITE compiler (refer to the download instruc-
tions).
3. Once both programs are installed, complete the Introduction to MPLAB
IDE/PICC-Lite Compiler Tutorial (DS41322) if you havent already. This lab
assumes that you have done so and will expand on that knowledge.
4. It is also recommended that you download a copy of the PIC16F690 data sheet
(DS41262) from www.microchip.com.

2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51702A-page 3

Timers Tutorial

TIMER0 INTERRUPT
In the previous lab we incremented a variable, counter, whenever the Timer0 value
register TMR0 overflowed from 255 to 0. To do this, a Polling algorithm was used
where the Timer0 Interrupt Flag (T0IF) was checked periodically to see if it was set to
1. This indicated that the TMR0 register had overflowed and that the counter
variable should be incremented. Now, you may notice that this type of algorithm of
periodically checking the T0IF ties up the processor for however long it takes to perform
the check. This may be acceptable for some applications, however, there will be times
when you would like the processor to devote its attention to a different task and only
take care of, or service, incrementing the counter variable when the T0IF flag over-
flows without needing to constantly check its status. This is easily accomplished on
mid-range PIC microcontrollers, such as the PIC16F690, using interrupts which serve
as an alarm, signaling that a particular event has occurred (such as when the T0IF flag
is set). In Figure 1-1, the left-hand flowchart represents the polling algorithm used in
the previous lab while the right-hand flowchart represents an alternative approach in
the form of an interrupt routine.

FIGURE 1-1: POLLING AND INTERRUPT ALGORITHMS TO INCREMENT

COUNTER VARIABLE

The PIC16F690 can be configured to perform a specific task when an interrupt occurs.
This is called the Interrupt Service Routine or ISR for short. When any interrupt
occurs, and there could be more than one, the processor will immediately stop what it
is doing and jump to the ISR to service the interrupt. Once completed, the processor
returns to what it was doing in code, prior to being interrupted. If multiple peripheral
interrupts are used, a prioritization algorithm will need to be included in the ISR to
determine which interrupt is serviced first. This lab will concentrate on Timer0 interrupts
only and not introduce any others.

CONFIGURING TIMER0 INTERRUPTS

The PIC16F690, as with any other PIC mid-range microcontroller, can be configured to
generate an interrupt when the TMR0 register overflows from 255 to 0 (111111112 to
000000002). To accomplish this, we must utilize the Interrupt Control (INTCON)
register. Figure 1-3 shows the INTCON register with the bits used in this tutorial.

DS51702A-page 4 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.

 Timers Tutorial
FIGURE 1-2: INTERRUPT CONTROL REGISTER (INTCON)

INTCON
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

GIE PEIE T0IE INTE RABIE T0IF INTF RABIF

Not used in this Tutorial

GIE: Global Interrupt Enable bit

T0IE: Timer0 Overflow Interrupt Enable bit
T0IF: Timer0 Overflow Interrupt Flag bit

There are basically three primary Configuration bits used to configure any interrupt.
First, the Global Interrupt Enable bit (GIE) acts as a sort of Master Switch that must
be set to enable interrupt capability on the PIC mid-range microcontroller. The GIE will
automatically clear to 0 whenever an interrupt occurs, ensuring that no other interrupts
can occur during execution of the ISR. Therefore, once the ISR is completed, the GIE
must be set again to enable future interrupts. Next, each peripheral will have individual
interrupt enable bits. These individual interrupt enable bits may be contained within a
separate Peripheral Interrupt Register (PIRx). However, the Timer0 peripheral interrupt
enable bit is contained within the INTCON register. The Timer0 Overflow Interrupt Flag
bit (T0IF) is set, and remains set until cleared in software, when a Timer0 overflow has
occurred. This bit needs to be cleared if further interrupts are required for this
peripheral. The following recommended sequence should be used when configuring
any interrupt and following any ISR:
1. Clear the interrupt flag (Timer0 Overflow Interrupt Flag).
2. Enable the individual peripheral interrupt (set the Timer0 Overflow Interrupt
Enable bit).
3. Enable PIC mid-range MCU interrupt capability by setting the Global Interrupt
Enable bit.
Interrupt configuration using these steps will ensure that interrupts do not occur during
initialization, causing unexpected results.

HANDS-ON LAB 1: TIMER0 INTERRUPTS

Purpose:
In this lab, a counter variable will increment each time the TMR0 register overflows from
255 to 0. To accomplish this, we will configure INTCON so that an interrupt occurs
whenever the T0IF (TMR0 Overflow Interrupt Flag) is set, indicating an overflow. To
implement an interrupt using the PICC-LITE compiler, the interrupt function qualifier
must be used followed by the chosen name of the Interrupt Service Routine (refer to
Example 1-1).

2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51702A-page 5

Timers Tutorial
EXAMPLE 1-1: TIMER0_ISR
void interrupt Timer0_ISR(void)
{
if (T0IE && T0IF) //are TMR0 interrupts enabled and
//is the TMR0 interrupt flag set?
{
T0IF=0; //TMR0 interrupt flag must be cleared in software
//to allow subsequent interrupts
++counter; //increment the counter variable by 1
}
}

PROCEDURE
Part 1: Configuring Timer0 Interrupts
1. Create a new project in MPLAB IDE using the following:
a) Select the PIC16F690 as the device.
b) Select HI-TECH PICC-LITE as the Language Toolsuite.
c) Create a folder on your C:\ drive and store the project there.
2. In the MPLAB IDE workspace, create a new file and copy the code in
Example 1-2 into it.

DS51702A-page 6 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.

 Timers Tutorial
EXAMPLE 1-2: HANDS-ON LAB CODE
#include <pic.h>

//Configure device
__CONFIG(INTIO & WDTDIS & PWRTDIS & MCLRDIS &
UNPROTECT & BORDIS & IESODIS & FCMDIS);

//-----------------------DATA MEMORY

unsigned char counter; //counter variable to count

//the number of TMR0 overflows

//----------------------PROGRAM MEMORY

/*----------------------------------------------------------
Subroutine: Timer0_ISR
Parameters: none
Returns: nothing
Synopsys: This is the Interrupt Service Routine for
Timer0 overflow interrupts. On TMR0 overflow
the counter variable is incremented by 1
----------------------------------------------------------*/
void interrupt Timer0_ISR(void)
{
if (T0IE && T0IF) //are TMR0 interrupts enabled and
//is the TMR0 interrupt flag set?
{
T0IF=0; //TMR0 interrupt flag must be
//cleared in software
//to allow subsequent interrupts
++counter; //increment the counter variable
//by 1
}
}

2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51702A-page 7

Timers Tutorial
EXAMPLE 1-2: HANDS-ON LAB CODE (CONTINUED)
/*----------------------------------------------------------
Subroutine: INIT
Parameters: none
Returns: nothing
Synopsys: Initializes all registers
associated with the application
----------------------------------------------------------*/
Init(void)
{
TMR0 = 0; //Clear the TMR0 register

/*Configure Timer0 as follows:

- Use the internal instruction clock

as the source to the module
- Assign the Prescaler to the Watchdog
Timer so that TMR0 increments at a 1:1
ratio with the internal instruction clock*/

OPTION = 0B00001000;
T0IE = 1; //enable TMR0 overflow interrupts
GIE = 1; //enable Global interrupts

/*----------------------------------------------------------
Subroutine: main
Parameters: none
Returns: nothing
Synopsys: Main program function
-----------------------------------------------------------*/
main(void)
{
Init(); //Initialize the relevant registers

while(1) //Loop forever

{
}
}

DS51702A-page 8 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.

 Timers Tutorial
Save as a .C file.
3. Build the project by pressing the Build Project icon . There should be no
errors.
4. Select the MPLAB SIM as the debugger.
5. Open a Watch window and add the TMR0, INTCON and OPTION_REG Special
Function Registers.
6. Add the counter symbol. Configure the Watch window to allow binary,
hexadecimal and decimal values to be seen.
7. Press the Animate icon in the Debugger toolbar and confirm that the
following occurs:
a) On a TMR0 overflow (255 0) the T0IF flag is set (INTCON<2>).
b) Using the Watch window, confirm that when the TMR0 flag sets, the
Timer0_ISR() interrupt routine is executed and the counter variable is
incremented by one.

Part 2: Timing Analysis

Next, we will check to see how fast the counter variable is actually incrementing.
1. Open the Stopwatch by selecting Debugger > Stopwatch.
2. The simulator Processor Frequency automatically defaults to 20 MHz. This will
need to be changed to the oscillator frequency used on this particular PIC
microcontroller. To change the Processor Frequency select Debugger>Settings
and change the Processor Frequency to 8 MHz (max. internal oscillator
frequency on the PIC16F690) under the Osc/Trace tab.
3. Setup a breakpoint next to the line in the interrupt Timer0_ISR()
subroutine that increments the counter variable (see Figure 1-3).

FIGURE 1-3: INTERRUPT CONTROL REGISTER (INTCON)

Note: The specific line number in your code may differ from that shown.

Setting the breakpoint here will allow the Stopwatch to analyze the time interval
between successive counter variable increments.

2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51702A-page 9

Timers Tutorial
In the Timers: Timer0 Tutorial (Part1) (DS51682), an equation was introduced to
determine the length of time for successive counter variable increments (see
Equation 1-1).

EQUATION 1-1: DETERMINING INTERNAL INSTRUCTION CLOCK CYCLE

PERIOD

Internal instruction cycle = 1 / [(Processor Frequency) / 4] = 1 / (8 MHz / 4) = 500nS

Since the TMR0 register is 8-bits wide, it will take 256 internal instruction cycles for an
overflow to happen (28 = 256). Since the PIC16F690 is configured to run off of the 8 MHz
internal oscillator, we can use Equation 1-2 to determine TMR0 overflow.

EQUATION 1-2: DETERMINING TMR0 OVERFLOW PERIOD

TMR0 overflow = Internal instruction cycle x 28 (we must count the zero) = 500nS x 256 = 128S

On any TMR0 overflow, the Interrupt Service Routine (Timer0_ISR()) will execute by
clearing T0IF and then increment the counter variable. Lets check to see if this is
what happens.
4. Press the Reset button on the simulator toolbar.
5. Press the Run button to execute the program up until the breakpoint is
encountered. The Stopwatch window should resemble Figure 1-4.

FIGURE 1-4: STOPWATCH WINDOW

Notice the Stopwatch indicates it took 139.5 S to reach the breakpoint. This doesnt
agree with Equation 1-2. However, dont forget that there is some extra code that the
central processing unit (CPU) will need to execute before configuring the Timer0
peripheral such as device configuration, variable declarations and so on.
6. Press the Zero button in the Stopwatch window. This clears the Stopwatch to
zero without resetting the CPU. Press the Run button once again in the simulator
toolbar. The Stopwatch should now resemble Figure 1-5.

DS51702A-page 10 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.

 Timers Tutorial
FIGURE 1-5: UPDATED STOPWATCH WINDOW

The Stopwatch should now indicate that it has taken precisely 128 S to reach the
breakpoint as per Equation 1-2. In Timers: Timer0 Tutorial (Part1) (DS51682), the
time it took using polling instead of interrupts to increment the counter variable was
close but not exactly what was calculated. Why do you think that is?
It can be concluded that in timing sensitive applications, its a good idea to utilize TMR0
interrupts. In this way, if TMR0 overflows, the processor immediately stops whatever it
is doing, services the interrupt (executes the interrupt subroutine) and then resumes its
previous task.

USING AN EXTERNAL CLOCK SOURCE

When the topic of Timers was first introduced in Timers: Timer0 Tutorial (Part1)
(DS51682), it was mentioned that these peripherals could be used as timers or
counters. The only difference is how the module is used. Up until this point, the labs
have focused on using Timer0 as a timer. In this section, Timer0 is used as a counter.
PIC microcontrollers allow the use of an external source to drive the TMR0 register via
connection to the Timer0 Clock Input pin (T0CKI) (refer to Figure 1-6 and Figure 1-7).
This external source could be an oscillator or simply a pushbutton connected to the pin.
Also notice in the block diagram that the T0CKI signal enters an XOR gate along with
the Timer0 Source Edge Select bit (T0SE) from the OPTION register. This allows the
TMR0 register value to increment on either the high-to-low (negative edge) or
low-to-high (positive edge) transition of the signal on the T0CKI pin. Following the
signal path through the block diagram, this signal can also be prescaled. Perhaps the
application requires that the TMR0 register is incremented every 2nd negative edge of
the input signal or every 256th edge of the positive going edge. Remember that in order
to use this prescaler the PSA bit in the OPTION register needs to be cleared to zero.
Also note that the input signal passes through a 2-cycle synchronization circuit to
ensure synchronization with the PIC16F690 instruction clock.

2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51702A-page 11

Timers Tutorial
FIGURE 1-6: SIMPLIFIED BLOCK DIAGRAM OF TIMER0 MODULE

Data Bus
FOSC/4

0 8
T0CKI 0 Sync 2
1 cycles
8-bit TMR0
PRESCALER 1
T0CS 3
PSA Set T0IF on
T0SE PS<2:0> overflow
BIT VALUE TMR0 RATE
000 1:2
001 1:4
010 1:8
011 1:16
100 1:32
101 1:64
110 1:128
111 1:256

FIGURE 1-7: OPTION REGISTER SHOWING THE TIMER0 CLOCK

SOURCE SELECT AND SOURCE EDGE SELECT BITS

OPTION

7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

RABPU INTEDG T0CS T0SE PSA PS2 PS1 PS0

T0CS: Timer0 Clock Source Select bit

1 = Transition on T0CKI pin
0 = Internal instruction cycle clock (FOSC/4)

T0SE: Timer0 Source Edge Select bit

1 = Increment on high-to-low transition

0 = Increment on high-to-low transition

Note: Configuring the Timer0 module using the OPTION register is discussed in greater
detail in Timers: Timer0 Tutorial (Part1) (DS51682).

DS51702A-page 12 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.

 Timers Tutorial
As shown in Figure 1-8, which shows the pin-out diagram for the PIC16F690, the
T0CKI pin shares functionality as follows:
RA2 represents the bit 2 position of the PORTA register
INT represents an external interrupt pin
C1OUT represents the output of the Comparator 1 module
AN2 represents an input to the Analog-to-Digital converter module.

FIGURE 1-8: PIC16F690 PIN-OUT DIAGRAM

VDD 1 20 VSS
RA5/T1CK1/OSC1/CLKIN 2 19 RA0/AN0/C1IN+/ICSPDAT/ULPWU
RA4/AN3/T1G/OSC2/CLKOUT 3 18 RA1/AN1/C12IN0-/VREF/ICPSPCLK
RA2/AN2/T0CKI/INT/C1OUT

PIC16F690
RA3/MCLR/VPP 4 17
RC5/CCP1/P1A 5 16 RC0/AN4/C2IN+

RC4/C2OUT/P1B 6 15 RC1/AN5/C12IN1-
RC3/AN7/C12IN3-/P1C 7 14 RC2/AN6/C12IN2-/P1D
RC6/AN8/SS 8 13 RB4/AN10/SDI/SDA
RC7/AN9/SD0 9 12 RB5/AN11/RX/DT
RB7/TX/CK 10 11 RB6/SCK/SCL

The AN2 feature of this pin means it can be used for either digital or analog signals.
The PIC16F690, has been designed so that the analog pins (i.e., ANx) will default to
analog when the PIC MCU powers up. Since this pin will be used for a digital signal,
analog functionality is disabled using a Special Function Register called the Analog
Select Register (ANSEL) as shown in Figure 1-9.

FIGURE 1-9: ANALOG SELECT REGISTER

ANSEL: ANALOG SELECT REGISTER

7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

ANS7 ANS6 ANS5 ANS4 ANS3 ANS2 ANS1 ANS0

ANS<7:0>: Analog Select bits

Analog select between analog or digital function on pins AN<7:0> respectively
1 = Pin is configured as Analog input
0 = Pin is configured as Digital input

Referring to the pin-out diagram for the PIC16F690 in Figure 1-8, notice that there are
actually 12 analog configurable pins (i.e., AN0 AN11). The Analog Select High
(ANSELH) register can be configured as well if needed for these pins. However, in this
application, the only pin of interest is the T0CKI/AN2 pin. These other pins will be
discussed in greater detail in other labs and as always, for more information on this or
any other feature of this product, refer to the data sheet.
When using an external input signal of any kind, it is important to pay particular
attention to electrical specifications and timing parameters listed in the data sheet. The
2-cycle synchronization block shown in Figure 1-6 samples the input signal on the
T0CKI pin and synchronizes it with the clock used by PIC16F690. Therefore, there are
some important equations to know when not using the prescaler for Timer0 (see
Equation 1-3 and Equation 1-4):

2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51702A-page 13

Timers Tutorial
EQUATION 1-3: MINIMUM HIGH PULSE WIDTH OF T0CKI SOURCE SIGNAL
WITH NO PRESCALER

2
T = --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + 20nS = minimum HIGH T0CK1 signal pulse width
T0 H PIC MCU OscillatorFrequency

Example:
If using the 8 MHz internal oscillator, use Equation 1-4 and Equation 1-5.

EQUATION 1-4: MINIMUM LOW PULSE WIDTH OF T0CKI SOURCE SIGNAL

2
T = --------------- + 20nS = a minimum HIGH pulse of 270nS
T0H 8MHz

EQUATION 1-5: MINIMUM LOW PULSE WIDTH OF T0CKI SOURCE SIGNAL

WITH NO PRESCALER

2
T = --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + 20nS = minimum LOW T0CK1 signal pulse width
T0H PIC MCU OscillatorFrequency

Example:
If using the 8 MHz internal oscillator, the minimum low pulse width can be calculated
as shown in Equation 1-6.

EQUATION 1-6: MINIMUM LOW PULSE WIDTH OF T0CKI SOURCE SIGNAL

WITH 8 MHz INTERNAL OSCILLATOR

2
T T 0 H = --------------- + 20nS = a minimum LOW pulse width of 270nS
8MHz

The internal sampling that occurs on the T0CKI signal takes two clock cycles of the PIC
microcontrollers oscillator. Divide 2 by the oscillator frequency in Hz to obtain an
answer in seconds (same as multiplying the oscillator frequency in seconds by 0.5).
The 20 nS added at the end of the equations represents a small 20 nS RC delay
present within the device. In this lab, the 8 MHz internal oscillator is used. Therefore, it
is necessary to ensure that the incoming signal stays High and/or Low for a minimum
of 270 nS when not using the prescaler. If the incoming signal is a TTL square wave,
this means the period can be no less than 270nS + 270nS = 540nS or a frequency of
(1/540nS) = 1.8 MHz
To use the prescaler on the T0CKI source signal, Equation 1-7 is used.

EQUATION 1-7: T0CKI SOURCE SIGNAL MINIMUM PERIOD

4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + 40nS
PIC MCU OSCILLATORFREQUENCY ( Hz )
T T 0 H = 20nS OR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ whichever is
Prescale value (i.e. 2,4...256)
greater
= minimum T0CKI signal period

Example:
If using the 8 MHz internal oscillator and a Timer0 prescale value of 64, the minimum
T0CKI signal period is calculated as shown in Equation 1-8.

DS51702A-page 14 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.

 Timers Tutorial
EQUATION 1-8: T0CKI SOURCE SIGNAL USING 8 MHz INTERNAL
OSCILLATOR AND TIMER0 PRESCALE VALUE OF 0

4
-------------- - + 40nS
8MHz
T = ------------------------------------------- = 8.4nS which is less than 20nS.
T0H 64 Therefore, use a minimum period of 20 nS

In Equation 1-5, if the calculated value is less than 20 nS, a minimum period of 20 nS
must be maintained. Otherwise, maintain a minimum period at the calculated value.

HANDS-ON LAB 2: USING AN EXTERNAL CLOCK SOURCE

Purpose:
In this lab, the counter variable will still increment each time the TMR0 register
overflows from 255 to 0. This time, an external signal will be used as the Timer0 clock
source and the TMR0 register configured to increment on the low-to-high transition of
the signal. To simulate an external clock source the Stimulus feature of MPLAB SIM is
used.

Procedure:

Part 1: Using MPLAB SIM Stimulus

1. Using either the project created in the previous lab or a new project, change the
OPTION register configuration value in the Init() to allow for the use of an
external clock source and configure the ANSEL register so that the T0CKI pin is
a digital input as shown in code Example 1-3.

EXAMPLE 1-3: CHANGES TO INIT()

Init(void)
{

ANSEL = 0B111111011;//Configure T0CKI/AN2 as a digital I/O

TMR0 = 0;//Clear the TMR0 register

/*Configure Timer0 as follows:

- Use the T0CKI pin and external source

as the source to the module
- Increment the TMR0 register on the low-to-high
transition of the external source
- Assign the Prescaler to the Watchdog
Timer so that TMR0 increments at a 1:1
ratio with the internal instruction clock*/

OPTION = 0B00101000;
T0IE = 1;//enable TMR0 overflow interrupts
GIE = 1; //enable Global interrupts

2. Re-compile the code and ensure that there are no errors.

3. Make sure that the MPLAB SIM simulator is selected as the debugger. Open the
Stimulus Tool by selecting Debugger>Stimulus>New Workbook. The window in
Figure 1-10 should now appear.

2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51702A-page 15

Timers Tutorial
FIGURE 1-10: STIMULUS WORKBOOK WINDOW

4. Next, select the Asych tab in the Stimulus window. The Stimulus window should
resemble Figure 1-11.

FIGURE 1-11: ASYNCH TAB IN STIMULUS WORKBOOK

DS51702A-page 16 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.

 Timers Tutorial
Stimulus is a tool used to simulate a signal on a pin external to the PIC MCU or to
actually generate a change to a bit in a peripherals Special Function Register. This can
be accomplished either synchronously by applying a predefined series of signal
changes to an I/O pin, or asynchronously as we will use in this lab. Synchronous
applications of the Stimulus feature will be discussed in other labs.
5. Click on the cell immediately below the Pin/SFR heading and select the T0CKI
pin (see Figure 1-12).

FIGURE 1-12: SELECTING THE T0CKI PIN

6. Click the cell immediately under the Action Tab and select Pulse High (see
Figure 1-13).

2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51702A-page 17

Timers Tutorial
FIGURE 1-13: SELECT PULSE HIGH ACTION

The Stimulus tool is now configured so that during a simulation Run, pressing the Fire
button next to the T0CKI cell will pulse that pin input High.
7. Open the Watch window and add the TMR0 Special Function Register as well as
the counter symbol (see Figure 1-14).

FIGURE 1-14: WATCH WINDOW WITH TMR0 AND COUNTER REGISTERS

8. Click Reset then Run buttons in the debugger toolbar.

9. While the simulation is running, press the Fire button in Stimulus next to the
T0CKI cell 5 times.
10. Next, stop the simulation and observe the changes to the TMR0 register. The
Watch window should resemble Figure 1-15.

DS51702A-page 18 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.

 Timers Tutorial
FIGURE 1-15: UPDATED WATCH WINDOW

Note that the TMR0 register has a value of 5 corresponding to the number of Fire
button presses.
Try pressing the Fire button enough times to generate a TMR0 overflow interrupt that
will increment the counter variable.

EXERCISES
1. Using the code and Init() function from Lab 1, configure the prescaler to
generate a TMR0 interrupt that will increment the counter variable for each of the
following periods exactly assuming that the PIC16F690 internal 8 MHz oscillator
is used:
a. 8.192 mS
b. 1.024 mS
c. 15.616 mS
2. Using Equation 1-2, develop a new equation that determines the prescaler value
based off the required overflow period. Develop the equation further to determine
a value to preload into TMR0 to generate an interrupt that doesnt fit neatly into
a specific prescaler value.
3. Configure the application code used in question 1 to increment the counter
variable every 1 second.
4. Calculate the minimum external clock source periods on the T0CKI pin for the
following (these assume you are using the PIC16F690):
a. Using an external crystal oscillator of 20 MHz and a Timer0 prescaler value of:
i. 32
ii. 64
b. Using an external crystal oscillator of 20 MHz with the Timer0 prescaler
disabled.
c. Using the internal 32 kHz oscillator with the Timer0 prescaler set to 128.
5. Refer to the PIC16F690 data sheet (DS41262), Table 17-5 in the Electrical
Specifications section. Suppose that all equations have been performed
correctly. What is an external condition that could affect the synchronous
operation of the application using an external source on the T0CKI pin?

2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51702A-page 19

Timers Tutorial
NOTES:

DS51702A-page 20 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.

 Timers Tutorial

NOTES:

2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51702A-page 21

 WORLDWIDE SALES AND SERVICE
AMERICAS ASIA/PACIFIC ASIA/PACIFIC EUROPE
Corporate Office Asia Pacific Office India - Bangalore Austria - Wels
2355 West Chandler Blvd. Suites 3707-14, 37th Floor Tel: 91-80-4182-8400 Tel: 43-7242-2244-39
Chandler, AZ 85224-6199 Tower 6, The Gateway Fax: 91-80-4182-8422 Fax: 43-7242-2244-393
Tel: 480-792-7200 Harbour City, Kowloon Denmark - Copenhagen
India - New Delhi
Fax: 480-792-7277 Hong Kong Tel: 45-4450-2828
Tel: 91-11-4160-8631
Technical Support: Tel: 852-2401-1200 Fax: 45-4485-2829
Fax: 91-11-4160-8632
http://support.microchip.com Fax: 852-2401-3431
India - Pune France - Paris
Web Address:
Australia - Sydney Tel: 91-20-2566-1512 Tel: 33-1-69-53-63-20
www.microchip.com
Tel: 61-2-9868-6733 Fax: 91-20-2566-1513 Fax: 33-1-69-30-90-79
Atlanta Fax: 61-2-9868-6755
Japan - Yokohama Germany - Munich
Duluth, GA
China - Beijing Tel: 49-89-627-144-0
Tel: 678-957-9614 Tel: 81-45-471- 6166
Tel: 86-10-8528-2100 Fax: 49-89-627-144-44
Fax: 678-957-1455 Fax: 81-45-471-6122
Fax: 86-10-8528-2104 Italy - Milan
Boston Korea - Daegu
China - Chengdu Tel: 39-0331-742611
Westborough, MA Tel: 82-53-744-4301
Tel: 86-28-8665-5511 Fax: 39-0331-466781
Tel: 774-760-0087 Fax: 82-53-744-4302
Fax: 86-28-8665-7889 Netherlands - Drunen
Fax: 774-760-0088 Korea - Seoul
China - Hong Kong SAR Tel: 82-2-554-7200 Tel: 31-416-690399
Chicago
Tel: 852-2401-1200 Fax: 82-2-558-5932 or Fax: 31-416-690340
Itasca, IL
Tel: 630-285-0071 Fax: 852-2401-3431 82-2-558-5934 Spain - Madrid
Fax: 630-285-0075 China - Nanjing Tel: 34-91-708-08-90
Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 86-25-8473-2460 Tel: 60-3-6201-9857 Fax: 34-91-708-08-91
Dallas
Addison, TX Fax: 86-25-8473-2470 Fax: 60-3-6201-9859 UK - Wokingham
Tel: 972-818-7423 China - Qingdao Tel: 44-118-921-5869
Malaysia - Penang
Fax: 972-818-2924 Tel: 86-532-8502-7355 Fax: 44-118-921-5820
Tel: 60-4-227-8870
Detroit Fax: 86-532-8502-7205 Fax: 60-4-227-4068
Farmington Hills, MI China - Shanghai Philippines - Manila
Tel: 248-538-2250 Tel: 86-21-5407-5533 Tel: 63-2-634-9065
Fax: 248-538-2260 Fax: 86-21-5407-5066 Fax: 63-2-634-9069
Kokomo China - Shenyang Singapore
Kokomo, IN Tel: 86-24-2334-2829 Tel: 65-6334-8870
Tel: 765-864-8360 Fax: 86-24-2334-2393 Fax: 65-6334-8850
Fax: 765-864-8387
China - Shenzhen Taiwan - Hsin Chu
Los Angeles Tel: 86-755-8203-2660 Tel: 886-3-572-9526
Mission Viejo, CA Fax: 86-755-8203-1760 Fax: 886-3-572-6459
Tel: 949-462-9523
China - Wuhan Taiwan - Kaohsiung
Fax: 949-462-9608
Tel: 86-27-5980-5300 Tel: 886-7-536-4818
Santa Clara Fax: 86-27-5980-5118 Fax: 886-7-536-4803
Santa Clara, CA
China - Xiamen Taiwan - Taipei
Tel: 408-961-6444
Tel: 86-592-2388138 Tel: 886-2-2500-6610
Fax: 408-961-6445
Fax: 86-592-2388130 Fax: 886-2-2508-0102
Toronto
China - Xian Thailand - Bangkok
Mississauga, Ontario,
Tel: 86-29-8833-7252 Tel: 66-2-694-1351
Canada
Fax: 86-29-8833-7256 Fax: 66-2-694-1350
Tel: 905-673-0699
Fax: 905-673-6509 China - Zhuhai
Tel: 86-756-3210040
Fax: 86-756-3210049

01/02/08

DS51702A-page 22 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.