Modern Microprocessor Systems

Assignment 3

Submitted To:
Dr. Ahmad Mahmood
Department of Electrical Engineering

Submitted By:
Muhammad Talah
ID: F2022019010
F2022 Batch

Submission Date:
01/28/2025
Timer / Counter Control Registers :
Timers and counters are fundamental components in microcontrollers and
embedded systems. They are used to generate precise time delays, count
events, or measure time intervals. The control registers associated with timers
and counters are used to configure their operation, manage their settings, and
enable or disable specific features. Understanding these registers is crucial for
optimizing timer/counter functionality for various applications such as event
counting, timekeeping, PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) generation, and
generating interrupts.
Key Timer / Counter Control Registers
1. Control Register (TCR):
o This register controls the operation of the timer or counter.
o It often includes bits to start or stop the timer, enable or disable
interrupts, configure the mode of operation, and select clock
sources.
Common Fields:
o Start/Stop Bit: Controls the activation of the timer/counter.
o Mode Select: Specifies the mode of the timer, such as normal
mode, PWM mode, or input capture mode.
o Interrupt Enable: Enables or disables the interrupt when the
timer/counter reaches a specific value or overflows.
o Pre-scaler Control: Some timers have pre-scalers that divide the
clock input to slow down the timer's rate.
2. Timer Mode Register (TMR):
o This register configures the mode of the timer.
o The mode could be simple timer mode, PWM mode, or other
specialized modes like input capture and output compare.
Common Fields:
o Overflow Flag: Indicates if the timer has overflowed.
 o Timer Mode: Determines whether the timer operates in free-
running mode, one-shot mode, or other specific modes.

3. Pre-scaler Register (PR):

o A pre-scaler is used to divide the system clock frequency to slow
down the operation of the timer or counter.
o The pre-scaler register determines the factor by which the clock is
divided before being used by the timer.
Common Fields:
o Pre-scale Value: This value divides the system clock by a specific
factor (e.g., divide by 8, 16, etc.).
o Pre-scaler Enable/Disable: Allows enabling or disabling the pre-
scaler functionality.
4. Capture/Compare Registers (CCR):
o These registers are used for specialized timer operations like input
capture or output compare.
 o Input capture is used to record the value of the timer at a
particular event, while output compare compares the timer value
to a set value and generates an action when they match (such as
triggering an interrupt or changing output state).
Common Fields:
o Capture Value: Stores the timer value when an input capture
event occurs.
o Compare Value: Holds the value used for output compare.
5. Interrupt Enable Register (IER):
o This register enables or disables interrupts for the timer/counter,
allowing the timer to trigger an interrupt when it overflows or
reaches a set value.
Common Fields:
o Overflow Interrupt Enable: Enables interrupts on overflow.
o Compare Interrupt Enable: Enables interrupts when the timer
value matches the compare register.
o Capture Interrupt Enable: Enables interrupts on input capture
events.
6. Timer/Counter Status Register (TCSR):
o The status register provides information about the current state of
the timer/counter, such as whether it has overflowed, captured an
input, or triggered an output compare.
Common Fields:
o Overflow Flag: Indicates that the timer has overflowed (or
wrapped around).
o Capture Flag: Indicates that an input capture event has occurred.
o Compare Flag: Indicates that a compare match occurred.
7. Control and Status Register (CSR):
o This register might combine the control and status of the timer
into a single register.
 o It is often used to check flags and configure additional settings like
enabling/disabling clock sources or other timer peripherals.
Common Fields:
o Enable/Disable Timer: Used to start or stop the timer operation.
o Clock Source Select: Allows the selection of the clock source used
by the timer (e.g., system clock, external clock).
General Timer Control Register Example Structure

Bit Name Description

0 Timer Enable Enables or disables the timer/counter

Timer
1 Indicates if the timer has overflowed
Overflow

Interrupt Enables or disables interrupts on overflow or compare

2
Enable match

Pre-scaler
3 Enables the pre-scaler for frequency division
Enable

Mode Selects the timer mode (e.g., normal, PWM, capture,

4
Selection compare)

Selects whether the timer will operate in input capture

5 Capture Mode
mode
Bit Name Description

Compare Selects whether the timer will operate in output compare

6
Mode mode

Typical Timer / Counter Operation

1. Timer Initialization:
o The first step in using a timer is configuring the pre-scaler (if
needed), setting the mode (e.g., up-counting, down-counting), and
enabling the timer. The control register is usually used to enable
the timer and set the clock source.
2. Counting or Time Measurement:
o Once the timer is running, it begins counting based on the
configured pre-scaler. The timer register stores the current count
value.
3. Interrupt Handling:
o If interrupts are enabled, the timer will trigger an interrupt when it
reaches a specified value (overflow, compare match, etc.),
signalizing the microcontroller to execute specific code (interrupt
service routine).
4. Stopping the Timer:
o The timer can be stopped by writing to the control register,
disabling the timer or clearing overflow flags. This can help
conserve power or prevent unwanted actions.
Use Cases of Timer / Counter Control Registers
1. Time Delay Generation:
o By configuring a timer to overflow after a specific period, time
delays can be accurately created for timing applications.
2. PWM Signal Generation:
 o PWM output can be generated by comparing the timer value to a
set compare value. By adjusting the compare value, the duty cycle
of the PWM signal can be controlled.
3. Event Counting:
o Counters are used in applications where events need to be
counted. The timer/counter can be configured in "count mode,"
where each event triggers an increment of the counter value.
4. Frequency Measurement:
o Using input capture mode, timers can measure the frequency of
external signals by capturing the timer value at every edge of the
input signal.

Conclusion:
Timer and counter control registers provide the necessary mechanisms to
configure, operate, and manage timers and counters in embedded systems.
These registers allow precise control over the timing, counting, and interrupt
behaviour, making them essential for a wide range of applications, including
time delays, PWM generation, event counting, and frequency measurement.
Understanding how to configure and use these registers is crucial for efficient
and reliable embedded system design.