medium
2 min read
Timer counters
Timer Counters A timer counter is a hardware component in a microprocessor that allows it to keep track of specific time intervals or occurrences. It ac...
Quick Actions
Insights
Difficultymedium
Reading Time2 min
Timer Counters A timer counter is a hardware component in a microprocessor that allows it to keep track of specific time intervals or occurrences. It ac...
Timer Counters
A timer counter is a hardware component in a microprocessor that allows it to keep track of specific time intervals or occurrences. It acts as an internal alarm that triggers a reaction or performs a specific task at the designated time.
Components:
Timer register: Stores the current time or count value.
Reset signal: Sets the timer to a specific initial time.
Reload signal: Resets the timer to its initial value.
Interrupt flag: Indicates when the timer reaches its preset value.
Functions:
The timer continuously counts or increments the time stored in the timer register.
When the reset signal is triggered, the timer stops counting and resets to its initial value.
When the reload signal is received, the timer is reset to its initial value.
When the interrupt flag is set, the microprocessor is notified, allowing it to perform an interrupt service routine.
Examples:
load timer_addr ; Load timer address
move timer_value 10 ; Set initial time
start timer_isr ; Start timer counting
move timer_addr 0x000000 ; Reset timer
move timer_value 10 ; Set new initial time
start timer_isr ; Start timer counting