ATMEGA164P_14 Datasheet, PDF (145/377 Pages) ATMEL Corporation – High-performance, Low-power Atmel

ATmega164P/324P/644P
15.7
Modes of Operation
The mode of operation, i.e., the behavior of the Timer/Counter and the Output Compare pins, is
defined by the combination of the Waveform Generation mode (WGM22:0) and Compare Output
mode (COM2x1:0) bits. The Compare Output mode bits do not affect the counting sequence,
while the Waveform Generation mode bits do. The COM2x1:0 bits control whether the PWM out-
put generated should be inverted or not (inverted or non-inverted PWM). For non-PWM modes
the COM2x1:0 bits control whether the output should be set, cleared, or toggled at a compare
match (See “Compare Match Output Unit” on page 143.).
For detailed timing information refer to “Timer/Counter Timing Diagrams” on page 149.
15.7.1 Normal Mode
15.7.2
The simplest mode of operation is the Normal mode (WGM22:0 = 0). In this mode the counting
direction is always up (incrementing), and no counter clear is performed. The counter simply
overruns when it passes its maximum 8-bit value (TOP = 0xFF) and then restarts from the bot-
tom (0x00). In normal operation the Timer/Counter Overflow Flag (TOV2) will be set in the same
timer clock cycle as the TCNT2 becomes zero. The TOV2 Flag in this case behaves like a ninth
bit, except that it is only set, not cleared. However, combined with the timer overflow interrupt
that automatically clears the TOV2 Flag, the timer resolution can be increased by software.
There are no special cases to consider in the Normal mode, a new counter value can be written
anytime.
The Output Compare unit can be used to generate interrupts at some given time. Using the Out-
put Compare to generate waveforms in Normal mode is not recommended, since this will
occupy too much of the CPU time.
Clear Timer on Compare Match (CTC) Mode
In Clear Timer on Compare or CTC mode (WGM22:0 = 2), the OCR2A Register is used to
manipulate the counter resolution. In CTC mode the counter is cleared to zero when the counter
value (TCNT2) matches the OCR2A. The OCR2A defines the top value for the counter, hence
also its resolution. This mode allows greater control of the compare match output frequency. It
also simplifies the operation of counting external events.
The timing diagram for the CTC mode is shown in Table 15-5 on page 145. The counter value
(TCNT2) increases until a compare match occurs between TCNT2 and OCR2A, and then coun-
ter (TCNT2) is cleared.
Figure 15-5. CTC Mode, Timing Diagram
OCnx Interrupt Flag Set
TCNTn
OCnx
(Toggle)
Period
1
2
3
4
(COMnx1:0 = 1)
7674F–AVR–09/09
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