Patent · US Expired

Microcontroller with multiple timing functions available in a single peripheral module

US5577235A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
12References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 31, 1994
Grant dateNov 19, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 31, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F15/7814
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A microcontroller chip with a central processing unit (CPU) is adapted to control an external system with which the device is to be installed in circuit. The microcontroller chip includes an on-chip peripheral universal timing function module with a register for storing a value selected to signify a distinctive event in a waveform. A timer generates a series of values as a function of time as a measure of the value selected to signify the distinctive event. The register and the timer are coupled to a pin of the microcontroller chip on which said waveform is to be applied. Equality between the values in the timer and the register signify the distinctive event as one of a capture and a compare of an event in the waveform, to generate an interrupt to the CPU. The register is selectively split into separate master and slave registers for automatic synchronization of the transfer of a value entered into the master register to the slave register with a repetitive boundary of the waveform, to provide selective pulse width modulation of the waveform.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.