8253/8254 – PROGRAMMABLE

INTERVAL TIMER
Used as a timer interface to INTEL processors
 Introduction
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 Has 3 counters; Counts in SIX different modes

 Each counter has two inputs – GATE, CLK; and 1
output – OUT
 Fourth register is CWR
 Hence, as expected, 2 address lines A1 and A0 are
used to select one of these four registers
Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019
 Block diagram and pin-out
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Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019

 Selected operations
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As you can see, there

is no “read control
word” option

Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019

 Some words about counters
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 They are independent

 16 bit down counters
 Pre-settable
 Count either in binary (Hexa) mode or in BCD mode

Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019

 Now time to see control word register
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Control word size is 8 bit;

Hope you remember data bit size is also
8 bit only

Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019

 Control word register definition cnt…
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Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019

 Operating modes
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1. Mode 0 – Interrupt on terminal count

2. Mode 1 – Programmable monoshot
3. Mode 2 – Rate generator
4. Mode 3 – Square wave generator (approx)
5. Mode 4 – Software triggered strobe
6. Mode 5 – Hardware triggered strobe
Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019
 MODE 0
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Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019

 MODE 0
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 Out is initially high and goes low when a value is loaded

 Count value is considered only in the falling edge
 Decrements the value at the next falling edges
 When the count is zero, out goes high and be in the
position until another value is loaded
 Stop to decrement and retain the value when gate = 0
 Erase the previous count when a new count is loaded
Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019
 MODE 1
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 Difference b/w Mode 0 & MODE 1
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 When we load a new value, that is neither accepted

nor the counting stops
 When gate goes low and comes up, counting starts
from the newly loaded value or counting restarted
from the original value
 Similar to mode 0, when gate is low, no counting
process
Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019
 Mode 2
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Coincidence? 8051 is
also auto reloaded
in mode 2

N-1 cycles OUT = H.

Nth cycle OUT = L
Repeats endlessly
Gate = L, waits until
gate is high

Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019

 MODE 3
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Duty cycle is either N/2N (50 percent –Square wave – when N is even)
or (N+1)/2N (more than 50 percent – NOT a perfect square wave – When N is odd

Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019

 MODE 4
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 After accepting the

count value OUT = H for
N cycle
 Goes low for one cycle
 Similar to other modes
Gate may inhibit counting

Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019

 MODE 5
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 This is very similar to mode

4

 Gate is used to trigger the

count (of course, it is used in
all modes. Here it is zero
initially and it triggers the
operations by changing the
state)

Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019

 Sample program
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Dr. D. Muralidharan 4/9/2019