Timers / Counters

Timer
• It is a specialized type of clock which is used to measure time
intervals.
• A timer that counts from zero upwards for measuring time
elapsed is often called a stopwatch.
• It is a device that counts down from a specified time interval and
used to generate a time delay timer.
Counter
• A counter is a device that stores (and sometimes displays) the
number of times a particular event or process occurred, with
respect to a clock signal.
• It is used to count the events happening outside the
microcontroller..
• The 8051 has two counters/timers which can be used
either as timer to generate a time delay or as counter to
count events happening outside the microcontroller.

• The 8051 has two timers:

➢ Timer0 and Timer1.

➢ They can be used either as Timers or as Counters.

➢ Both Timers are 16 bits wide.

➢ Each 16-bit is accessed as two separate registers of

Lower byte (TLx) and higher byte (THx).
 Timer Mode
• In Timer Mode ,The internal machine cycles are counted.
• So this register is incremented in each machine cycle.
• So when the clock frequency is 12MHz, then the timer
register is incremented in each microsecond.

crystal frequency of microcontroller 11.0592 MHz

Timer clock frequency= (Xtal Osc.frequency)/12
= 11.0592 MHz /12 = 921.6 KHz
T period = 1/ 921.6 KHz =1.085 μS
 Counter Mode
• In the counter mode, the external events are counted.
• In this mode, the timer register is incremented when external event
is occurred.
• At least two machine cycles are needed.
• When the frequency is 12MHz, then the maximum count frequency
will be 12MHz/24 = 500KHz.
• So for event counting the time duration is 2 µs

Timer
The register incremented for every
machine cycle.
Maximum count rate is 1/12 of the
oscillator frequency.
A timer uses the frequency of the
internal clock and generates delay.
Counter
The register is incremented considering 1
to 0 transition at its corresponding to an
external input
Maximum count rate is 1/24 of the
oscillator frequency.
A counter uses an external signal to
count pulses.
 TMOD (timer mode) Register: This is an 8-bit register which is used by both Timer 0 and 1
to set the various timer modes.

GATE:
1 = Enable Timer/Counter only when the INT0/INT1 pin is high and TR0/TR1 is set.
0 = Enable Timer/Counter when TR0/TR1 is set.

C/T (Counter/Timer): Timer or Counter select bit

1 = Use as Counter 0 = Use as Timer

M1 M0 Mode Operation
0 0 • 0 (13-bit timer mode) ✓ 13-bit timer/counter, 8-bit of THx & 5-bit of TLx
0 1 • 1 (16-bit timer mode) ✓ 16-bit timer/counter, THx cascaded with TLx
✓ 8-bit timer/counter (auto reload mode),
• 2 (8-bit auto reload
1 0 ✓ TLx reload with value held by THx
mode)
✓ each time TLx overflow
✓ Split 16-bit timer into two 8-bit timer i.e.
1 1 • 3 (split timer mode)
✓ THx and TLx like two 8-bit timer
TCON Register : TCON is 8-bit control register and contains timer and interrupt flags.

Bit 7 - TF1: Timer1 Overflow Flag

1 = Timer1 overflow occurred 0 = Timer1 overflow not occurred.
It is cleared through software. In Timer1 overflow interrupt service routine, this bit will get cleared automatically
while exiting from ISR.
Bit 6 - TR1: Timer1 Run Control Bit
1 = Timer1 start. 0 = Timer1 stop.
It is set and cleared by software.
Bit 5 – TF0: Timer0 Overflow Flag
1 = Timer0 overflow occurred 0 = Timer0 overflow not occurred.
Bit 4 – TR0: Timer0 Run Control Bit
1 = Timer0 start. 0 = Timer0 stop.
Bit 3 - IE1: External Interrupt1 Edge Flag
1 = External interrupt1 occurred. 0 = External interrupt1 Processed.
It is set and cleared by hardware.
Bit 2 - IT1: External Interrupt1 Trigger Type Select Bit
1 = Interrupt occur on falling edge at INT1 pin. 0 = Interrupt occur on low level at INT1 pin.
Bit 1 – IE0: External Interrupt0 Edge Flag
1 = External interrupt0 occurred. 0 = External interrupt0 Processed.
Bit 0 – IT0: External Interrupt0 Trigger Type Select Bit
1 = Interrupt occur on falling edge at INT0 pin. 0 = Interrupt occur on low level at INT0 pin.
 Mode 0 (13-bit timer mode)
Mode 0 is 13-bit timer mode for which 8-bit of THx and 5-bit of TLx (as Prescaler).
• Xtal oscillator frequency is 11.0592 MHz
• we have machine cycle of 1.085uSec.
• Hence, required count to generate delay of 1mSec. is,
• Count =(1m)/(1.085μ) ≈ 921
• Value=(8191-Count)= 8191 – 921=7270 = 0x1C70
• we need additional 13 MC (machine cycles) from call to
return of delay function.
 Mode 1 (16-bit timer mode)
Mode 1 is 16-bit timer mode for which 8-bit of THx and 8-bit of TLx

• Xtal oscillator frequency is 11.0592 MHz

• we have machine cycle of 1.085uSec.
• Hence, required count to generate delay of 1mSec. is,
• Count =(1m)/(1.085μ) ≈ 921
• Value=(8191-Count)= 65536– 921=64615 = 0xFC67
• TH0 = 0xFC & TL0 = 0x67
 Delay of 1 Sec
• Xtal oscillator frequency is 11.0592 MHz
• we have machine cycle of 1.0852uSec.
• Hence, required count to generate delay of 1Sec
➢ 50ms x 20 =1000 ms = 1 Sec
• Count =(50m)/(1.0852μ) ≈ 46074
• Value=(65536-Count)= 65535-46074+1=19460= 0x4C05
TH1 = 0x4C TL1= 0x05
• Timer -1 - Mode 1
TMOD = 0x10
 void delay()
#include<regx51.h>
sbit led=P2^0;
{
void delay(); int a;
void main() for ( a=0;a<20;a++)
{ {
while(1) TMOD=0X10;
{ TH1=0X4C;
led=0; TL1=0X05;
delay(); TR1=1;
led=1; while(TF1==0);
delay(); TR1=0;
} TF1=0;
} }
}
 Mode2 (8-bit auto-reload timer mode)
• Mode 2 is 8-bit auto-reload timer mode.
• In this mode we have to load the THx-8 bit value only.
• when the Timer gets started, THx value gets automatically loaded into
the TLx and TLx start counting from that value.
• After the value of TLx overflows from the 0xFF to 0x00, the TFx flag gets
set and again value from the THx gets automatically loaded into the TLx
register.
• That’s why this is called as auto reload mode.
➢ Generating a square wave with 200uSec
• Xtal oscillator frequency is 11.0592 MHz
• we have machine cycle of 1.0852uSec.
• Hence, required count to generate delay of 100μSec
• Count =(100μ)/(1.0852μ) ≈ 92
• Value=(255-Count)= 255-92+1=164= 0xA4
• TH1 = 0xA4
 Mode 3 of Timer/Counter (Split Mode)
• TL0 will be used as an 8-bit timer/counter.
• It will be controlled by the standard Timer0 control bits, T0
and INT0 inputs.
• The TH0 is used as an 8-bit timer but not the counter.
• This is controlled by Timer1 Control bit TR1.
• When the TH0 overflows from FFH to 00H, then TF1 is set to 1