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Posted by Max on Jul 14, 2011 in Atmel AVR, Microcontrollers | 85 comments
AVR Timers – CTC Mode

Hello friends! Welcome to the another tutorial on AVR
1 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Timers. Till now, we have covered the following topics

in AVR Timers:
Introduction to AVR Timers

8-bit TIMER0
16-bit TIMER1
8-bit TIMER2
The basic concepts of timers and its applications have been discussed in
earlier posts. In this post, we will discuss about a special mode of operation
– Clear Timer on Compare (CTC) Mode.
CTC Mode
So till now, we have dealt with the basic concepts. We had two timer values
with us – Set Point (SP) and Process Value (PV). In every iteration, we used
to compare the process value with the set point. Once the process value
becomes equal (or exceeds) the set point, the process value is reset. The
following code snippet explains it:
1 max = 39999; // max timer value set <--- set point

2
3 // some code here
4 // ...
5 // ...
6 // ...
7
8 // TCNT1 <--- process value
9 if (TCNT1 >= max) // process value compared with the set point
10 {
11 TCNT1 = 0; // process value is reset
12 }
13
14 // ...
Here, we have used the example of TIMER1. Since TIMER1 is a 16-bit timer, it
can count upto a maximum of 65535. Here, what we desire is that the timer
(process value) should reset as soon as its value becomes equal to (or
greater than) the set point of 39999.
So basically, the CTC Mode implements the same thing, but unlike the above
example, it implements it in hardware. Which means that we no longer
need to worry about comparing the process value with the set point every
time! This will not only avoid unnecessary wastage of cycles, but also ensure
greater accuracy (i.e. no missed compares, no double increment, etc).
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Hence, this comparison takes place in the hardware itself, inside the AVR
CPU! Once the process value becomes equal to the set point, a flag in the
status register is set and the timer is reset automatically! Thus goes the
name – CTC – Clear Timer on Compare! Thus, all we need to do is to take
care of the flag, which is much more faster to execute.
Let us analyze this CTC Mode in detail with the help of a problem statement.
Problem Statement
Let’s take up a problem statement to understand this concept. We need to
flash an LED every 100 ms. We have a crystal of XTAL 16 MHz.
Methodology – Using CTC Mode

Before proceeding any further, let’s jot down the formula first. I also
recommend you to read my TIMER0 tutorial in order to understand this
better. I won’t be revising the basic concepts here, just their application.
Now, given XTAL = 16 MHz, with a prescaler of 64, the frequency of the clock
pulse reduces to 250 kHz. With a Required Delay = 100 ms, we get the Timer
Count to be equal to 24999. Up until now, we would have let the value of
the timer increment, and check its value every iteration, whether it’s equal
to 24999 or not, and then reset the timer. Now, the same will be done in
hardware! We won’t check its value every time in software! We will simply
check whether the flag bit is set or not, that’s all. Confused, eh? Well, don’t
worry, just read on!
Okay, so now let me introduce you to the register bits which help you to
implement this CTC Mode.
TCCR1A and TCCR1B Registers

The Timer/Counter1 Control Register A – TCCR1A Register is as follows:
TCCR1A Register
The Timer/Counter1 Control Register B – TCCR1B Register is as follows:
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TCCR1B Register
You are already aware of the Clock Select Bits – CS12:0 in TCCR1B (if not,
view the TIMER1 post, scroll down a bit and you will find it there). Hence,
right now, we are concerned with the Wave Generation Mode Bits –
WGM13:0. As you can see, these bits are spread across both the TCCR1
registers (A and B). Thus we need to be a bit careful while using them. Their
selection is as follows:
Wave Generation Mode Bit Description
We can see that there are two possible selections for CTC Mode. Practically,
both are the same, except the fact that we store the timer compare value in
different registers. Right now, let’s move on with the first option (0100).
Thus, the initialization of TCCR1A and TCCR1B is as follows.
TCCR1A |= 0;
// not required since WGM11:0, both are zero (0)
TCCR1B |= (1 << WGM12)|(1 << CS11)|(1 << CS10);

// Mode = CTC, Prescaler = 64
OCR1A and OCR1B Registers

Now that we have set the CTC Mode, we must tell the AVR to reset the timer
as soon as its value reaches such and such value. So, the question is, how
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do we set such and such values? The Output Compare Register 1A –

OCR1A and the Output Compare Register 1B – OCR1B are utilized for this
purpose.
OCR1A Register
OCR1B Register
Since the compare value will be a 16-bit value (in between 0 and 65535),
OCR1A and OCR1B are 16-bit registers. In ATMEGA16/32, there are two CTC
channels – A and B. We can use any one of them or both. Let’s use OCR1A.
OCR1A = 24999; // timer compare value
TIFR Register
The Timer/Counter Interrupt Flag Register – TIFR is as follows. It is a
common register to all the timers.
TIFR Register
We are interested in Bit 4:3 – OCF1A:B – Timer/Counter1, Output

Compare A/B Match Flag Bit. This bit is set (one) by the AVR whenever a
match occurs i.e. TCNT1 becomes equal to OCR1A (or OCR1B). It is cleared
automatically whenever the corresponding Interrupt Service Routine (ISR) is
executed. Alternatively, it can be cleared by writing ’1′ to it!
Code
Now that we are aware of the methodology and the registers, we can
proceed to write the code for it. To learn about I/O port operations in AVR,
5 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

view this. To know about bit manipulations, view this. To learn how to use
AVR Studio 5, view this. To learn how this code is structured, view the
previous TIMER0 post.
1 #include <avr/io.h>
2
3 // initialize timer, interrupt and variable
4 void timer1_init()
5 {
6 // set up timer with prescaler = 64 and CTC mode
7 TCCR1B |= (1 << WGM12)|(1 << CS11)|(1 << CS10);
8
9 // initialize counter
10 TCNT1 = 0;
11
12 // initialize compare value
13 OCR1A = 24999;
14 }
15
16 int main(void)
17 {
18 // connect led to pin PC0
19 DDRC |= (1 << 0);
20
21 // initialize timer
22 timer1_init();
23
24 // loop forever
25 while(1)
26 {
27 // check whether the flag bit is set
28 // if set, it means that there has been a compare match
29 // and the timer has been cleared
30 // use this opportunity to toggle the led
31 if (TIFR & (1 << OCF1A)) // NOTE: '>=' used instead of '=
32 {
33 PORTC ^= (1 << 0); // toggles the led
34 }
35
36 // wait! we are not done yet!
37 // clear the flag bit manually since there is no ISR to e
38 // clear it by writing '1' to it (as per the datasheet)
39 TIFR |= (1 << OCF1A);
40
41 // yeah, now we are done!
42 }
43 }
So, now you have an LED flashing every 100 ms! Now let’s use another
methodology to sort out the same problem statement.
Methodology – Using Interrupts with CTC Mode
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In the previous methodology, we simply used the CTC Mode of operation.

We used to check every time for the flag bit (OCF1A). Now let’s shift this
responsibility to the AVR itself! Yes, now we do not need to check for the flag
bit at all! The AVR will compare TCNT1 with OCR1A. Whenever a match
occurs, it sets the flag bit OCF1A, and also fires an interrupt! We just need to
attend to that interrupt, that’s it! No other headache of comparing and
stuffs!
There are three kinds of interrupts in AVR – overflow, compare and capture.
We have already discussed the overflow interrupt in previous posts. For this
case, we need to enable the compare interrupt. The following register is
used to enable interrupts.
TIMSK Register
The Timer/Counter Interrupt Mask Register- TIMSK Register is as follows.
It is a common register to all the timers. The greyed out bits correspond to
other timers.
TIMSK Register
We have already come across TOIE1 bit. Now, the Bit 4:3 – OCIE1A:B –
Timer/Counter1, Output Compare A/B Match Interrupt Enable bits are
of our interest here. Enabling it ensures that an interrupt is fired whenever
a match occurs. Since there are two CTC channels, we have two different
bits OCIE1A and OCIE1B for them.
Thus, to summarize, whenever a match occurs (TCNT1 becomes equal to

OCR1A = 24999), an interrupt is fired (as OCIE1A is set) and the OCF1A flag is
set. Now since an interrupt is fired, we need an Interrupt Service Routine
(ISR) to attend to the interrupt. Executing the ISR clears the OCF1A flag bit
automatically and the timer value (TCNT1) is reset.
Interrupt Service Routine (ISR)

Now let’s proceed to write an ISR for this. The ISR is defined as follows:
ISR (TIMER1_COMPA_vect)
{
// toggle led here
PORTB ^= (1 << 0);
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Okay, that’s all we need to do in the ISR. Now let’s see how the actual code
looks like.
Final Code
To learn about I/O port operations in AVR, view this. To know about bit
manipulations, view this. To learn how to use AVR Studio 5, view this. To
learn how this code is structured, view the previous TIMER0 post.
+ expand source
Hence, now we have seen how to implement the CTC mode using
interrupts, reducing the code size, comparisons and processing time. But
this is not over yet! We can reduce them further! Let’s take the same
problem statement.
Methodology – Using
Hardware CTC Mode
Okay, so now, all of you have a look
at the pin configuration of
ATMEGA16/32. Can you see the
pins PB3, PD4, PD5 and PD7? Their
special functions are mentioned in
the brackets (OC0, OC1A, OC1B and
OC2). These are the Output
Compare pins of TIMER0, TIMER1
and TIMER2 respectively. Before we
learn how to use them, let’s have
ATMEGA16/32 OC Pins
another look at the TCCR1A
register.
TCCR1A Register
The Timer/Counter1 Control Register A – TCCR1A Register is as follows:
TCCR1A Register
Now time for us to concentrate on Bit 7:6 – COM1A1:0 and Bit 5:4 –
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COM1B1:0 – Compare Output Mode for Compare Unit A/B. These bits
control the behaviour of the Output Compare (OC) pins. The behaviour
changes depending upon the following modes:
Non-PWM mode (normal / CTC mode)

Fast PWM mode
Phase Correct / Phase & Frequency Correct PWM mode
Right now we are concerned only with the CTC mode. The following options
hold good for non-PWM mode.
Compare Output Mode, non-PWM
Since we need to toggle the LED, we choose the second option (01). Well,
that’s all we need to do! No need to check any flag bit, no need to attend to
any interrupts, nothing. Just set the timer to this mode and we are done!
Whenever a compare match occurs, the OC1A pin is automatically toggled!
But we need to compromise on the hardware. Only PD5 or PD4 (OC1A or

OC1B) can be controlled this way, which means that we should connect the
LED to PD5 (since we are using channel A) instead of PC0 (which we had
been using in all the examples till now).
Now let’s see how the code looks like!
Code
To learn about I/O port operations in AVR, view this. To know about bit
manipulations, view this. To learn how to use AVR Studio 5, view this. To
learn how this code is structured, view the previous TIMER0 post.
+ expand source
Forcing Compare Match

Okay, so till now we have discussed almost all the concepts of CTC mode for
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TIMER1, except one – Forcing Compare Match. In the TCCR1A register, till
now we have ignored Bit 3:2 – FOC1A:B – Force Output Compare for
Compare Unit A/B.
TCCR1A Register
If you see clearly, it’s mentioned that these bits are write only bits. They are
active only in non-PWM mode. Well, for ensuring compatibility with future
devices, these bits must be set to zero (which they already are by default).
Setting them to ‘1’ will result in an immediate forced compare match and
the effect will be reflected in the OC1A/OC1B pins. The thing to be noted is
that FOC1A/FOC1B will not generate any interrupt, nor will it clear the
timer in CTC mode.
CTC Mode – TIMER0

Till now we have explored CTC mode of TIMER1. In this section, I will
describe the CTC mode of TIMER0 in brief. In other words, we will discuss
about the registers only. We will not take a problem statement this time,
because I assume that you have read whatever is written above and can use
CTC mode of TIMER0 exactly in the same way! So let’s get started.
TCCR0 Register
The Timer/Counter0 Control Register– TCCR10 Register is as follows:
TCCR0 Register
Bit 6:3 – WGM01:0 – Wave Generation Mode – Just like in TIMER1, we

choose the type of wave mode from here as follows. Choose 10 for CTC
mode.
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Wave Generation Mode Bit Description
Bit 5:4 – COM01:0 – Compare Match Output Mode – They control the
behaviour of the OC0 (PB3) pin depending upon the WGM mode –
non-PWM, Phase Correct PWM mode and Fast PWM mode. The selection
options of non-PWM mode are as follows. Choose 01 to toggle the LED.
Compare Output Mode, non-PWM
Bit 7 – FOC0 – Force Output Compare – This bit, when set to ‘1’ forces an
immediate compare match and affects the behaviour of OC0 pin. For
ensuring compatibility with future devices, this bit must be set to ‘0’.
Bit 2:0 – CS02:0 – Clock Select Bits – We are already familiar with these
bits. View the TIMER0 post for more details.
OCR0 Register
The Output Compare Register– OCR0 Register is as follows:
OCR0 Register
The value to be compared (max 255) is stored in this register.
TIMSK Register
The Timer/Counter Interrupt Mask– TIMSK Register is as follows:
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TIMSK Register
The Bit 1 – OCIE0 – Timer/Counter0 Output Compare Match Interrupt

Enable enables the firing of interrupt whenever a compare match occurs.
TIFR Register
The Timer/Counter Flag Register– TIFR is as follows:
TIFR Register
The Bit 1 – OCF0 – Output Compare Flag 0 is set whenever a compare

match occurs. It is cleared automatically whenever the corresponding ISR is
executed. Alternatively it is cleared by writing ‘1’ to it.
That’s it! With this much information, I am sure that you can successfully
generate a timer in CTC mode of TIMER0.
CTC Mode – TIMER2

Well, I leave this to you! It is exactly similar to the TIMER0 CTC Mode! Just go
through the datasheet and you are through!!
Well, that’s all for CTC Mode. I hope you enjoyed reading it! In the next post,
we will discuss the different PWM modes and how to generate them.
So till then, subscribe to my blog to stay updated! Alternatively, you

can also grab the RSS Feeds for that!
Thank You!
Mayank Prasad
[email protected]
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Related Posts
AVR Timers – AVR Timers – AVR Timers – AVR Timers – AVR Timers –
TIMER0 TIMER1 TIMER2 PWM Mode – Part PWM Mode – Part
I II
Max
Max is the founder and admin of maxEmbedded.
He describes himself as an 'embedded electronics
freak' and an Apple/Linux fan. He likes to
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field. Furthermore, he likes to write stuffs on his
website for techie newbies and loves to teach
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85 Comments
hemanth December 12, 2011
13 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

thanks a lot….each and every thing is given in clear manner
REPLY
Martin Matysiak February 4, 2012
Hey Mayank,
thank you very much for writing this and all the other articles in your blog!
They just saved me a lot of time since I didn’t have to search for the
information I needed in the controller’s datasheet and I highly appreciate
that. Keep up the great work!
REPLY
Abdus Sami March 3, 2012
Great article, presented in a lovely manner.
REPLY
Mayank March 7, 2012
Thanks!
REPLY
14 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

serdar cetin March 14, 2012
Thank you very much about this artical.Atmel timers documents not clear.
Loves from Turkey
Serdar Cetin
REPLY
Jay March 21, 2012
Hi,
Thank for the tutorial. It was really helpful.
I just wanted to know if I can modify the value of OCR1A in ISR (using 16 bit
Timer)?
Thank you
Jay
REPLY
Yes, why not?!
REPLY
Jay March 29, 2012
15 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

I am trying a output a pulse which is 130Hz in CTC mode.

But the output is stuck at 122.3Hz and doesnt vary with
changing the value of OCR1A.
Any suggestions?
(The code is very similar to the one with timer interrupt)

Thanks
Jay
REPLY
tepic May 15, 2012
Should:
TCCR1A |= 0; // not required since WGM11:0, both are zero (0)
Not read:
TCCR1A = 0;
REPLY
Mayank May 15, 2012
TCCR1A |= 0 implies that we are retaining the previous values if

any. This is just to ensure that we don’t accidently change the bits
which we don’t wish to change. However, if you want, you can also
use TCCR1A = 0 during initialization. For more information about
Bit Manipulations, view the Progamming 101 tutorial!
16 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

REPLY
tepic May 15, 2012
TCCR1A |= 0 changes no bits at all, retaining everything. I

found I needed to clear WGM11 and WGM10. I guess a
better suggestion should have been:
TCCR1A &= ~(1<<WGM11 | 1<<WGM10)
Having checked the other bits, for my purposes, TCCR1A=0

was a safe shortcut.
Great tutorial series though, I would not have go to this

point without your guide. Thanks.
REPLY
Mayank May 15, 2012
Thanks, In that case go ahead!
REPLY
hemant June 23, 2012
17 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Beauty..supreme understanding and effort on your side to make this stuff

easy
REPLY
Mayank June 24, 2012
Thanks Hemant! Hope you enjoyed it
REPLY
Mwangi July 14, 2012
it’s a great article.simple language and everything covered
REPLY
mohammad ahmad July 22, 2012
iam very confused about putting one in the ocf1a ???

nw why we didn’t put TIFR |= (1 << OCF1A); inside the if scope instead of
setting this bit out of the scope
i mean if the if condition not true at first we will put one and clear the bit
and the second cycle i forced nw the condition to be true ???
if (TIFR & (1 <=’ used instead of ‘==’

{
18 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

PORTC ^= (1 << 0); // toggles the led

}
// wait! we are not done yet!
// clear the flag bit manually since there is no ISR to execute
// clear it by writing '1' to it (as per the datasheet)
TIFR |= (1 << OCF1A);
REPLY
Mohammad Ahmad August 3, 2012
what is the importance of existing two compare registers in timer 1

although the tcnt is cleard on comparing with only one of them ???
do you understand me ???
REPLY
Mayank August 4, 2012
TIMER1 has two physical channels, and hence there are two
compare registers. Every time, TCNT1 is compared with either
TCCR1A or TCCR1B. This can be used for fast switching between
frequencies or maybe generate two different and unique
frequencies at both the pins. I would suggest you to post this in
avrfreaks.net You will get a better insight into this.
REPLY
19 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Gopy August 3, 2012
well. good article. i have one suggestion from you. i have to measure time
between pulse which i given to INT0. i am giving input pulse through INT0.
i have to find time to measure accurate time between two pulse. i tried
with over flow interrupt but its not correct. is there any way to do with CTC
mode?
REPLY
I guess so! You can set some value of TCCR1A (say 20) and then
divide the result by 20 to get the time between two pulses. Or else
you can also set TCCR1A to 1. This would give you the exact time.
REPLY
shahi August 25, 2012
hello there I am in big trouble. I read your article but I am confused. I had
a program and it’s not working as it should. here is the code for atmega 32
everything is working except the seconds are counting after 4 seconds it

counts 1 seconds. I was try to solve but I failed. Now I am asking for help.
please help me. I have to submit this for my college project and my college
teacher do not know how to use this program so I become hopeless. I
know if you try you can help me. waiting for your reply.
// Code removed by the admin
20 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

REPLY
Hi Shahi
Such unexpected delays occur due to mismatch of the software
frequency and hardware frequency.
1. What is the frequency your microcontroller is running at?
2. What is the frequency you have set in your software? View this
to learn how to configure your software frequency.
3. If you are using an external crystal resonator, have you set the
fuses of your microcontroller properly?
REPLY
rohits134 August 30, 2012
Reblogged this on itech and commented:

A nice tutorial to microcontrollers
REPLY
talal December 12, 2012
umm so im writing this code where im using external interrupt 1,the 16 bit
counter as two b bit counters for pwm generation and timer 0 in ctc mode
the problem is the interrupt routines seem to work fine as long as i donot
use the pwm generation mode on timer 1 . as soon as i use timer 1 in pwm
21 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

generation mode , the interrupt doesn’t seem to work.

im using isis to simulate the code , any help you can offer ?
REPLY
Mayank December 14, 2012
Hi Talal,
I haven’t used ISIS till now. Perhaps you should try posting your
query to avrfreaks.net
REPLY
F_joel (@F_joel1) December 28, 2012
Hi Mayank. I’m trying to write a program that will count

the pulse at the pin pb1 and display the frequency on a
lcd. Can you help me with an example ? thanks
REPLY
Hi Joel,
You can do this easily using the Timers/Counters
of AVR. Try reading my timer tutorials to get an
idea about them.
What you can do is you can run a timer for one
22 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

second, after which it fires an interrupt. In the

interrupt service routine, read the value to count
and clear it for the next cycle. This count will be
equal to your frequency (since you are waiting
only for one second), which you can display in
your LCD.
REPLY
F_joel (@F_joel1) December 29, 2012
Hi Mayank. Thanks for the explanation, but could you write a simple
program like that for me so that I can used it as example to write my own
one. I’ve already tried many unsuccessfully. I just want to measure a
frequency up to 20khz and display it through PortD on LCD.
Thanks.
this is what I’ve did ,but it isn’t working
Code can be found here.
REPLY
23 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Hi Joel,
The code you have written does not seem to be written in Atmel
Studio 6, and so I may not be able to analyze it properly. But all the
concepts have been very clearly described along with code
examples in this post as well as my Timer1 post as well. Please
take some time to read through them and try to implement the
codes. The codes can also be found in my code gallery.
REPLY
kems2013 January 16, 2013
waho. your tutorials are the clearest i have ever seen
REPLY
Mayank January 19, 2013
Thanks!
REPLY
ismail January 22, 2013
effective tutorial..
REPLY
24 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Mayank January 22, 2013
Thanks!
REPLY
Fuerb February 10, 2013
Hi Mayank,
thanks for putting the effort into writing this series of tutorials. Clearer
than in your tutorial it is nowhere (for me).
REPLY
Mayank February 11, 2013
Thank you!
REPLY
Sigurdur February 11, 2013
Hi and thx for this awesome tutorial

I’m trying to blink the led on an Arduino uno 328P but no luck yet. I’m
using Eclipse I might add.
25 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

I have to change the led to pin 9 (PB1) or 10 (PB2) to use timer1 right? I
used DDRB = 0×02; to set the output to pin 9 which is the same as DDRB
|= (1 << 1) right?
Another thing is that as soon as I add the ISR to the code I get a warning:
warning: 'main' is normally a non-static function
Any ideas?
REPLY
Hi Sigurdur,
First of all may I ask you if you are using Arduino Uno, then why
not program it using the Arduino software itself?
REPLY
Well That would be nice…I’m however taking a course

which requires me to program the Arduino using this low
level approach to get to know and understand better
exactly how it works under the hood.
REPLY
Well, to be more precise, DDRB = 0x02 is the same as DDRB =
26 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

(1<<1); whereas DDRB |= 0x02 is the same as DDRB |=

(1<<1);
I hope you get me.
And as far as the warning is concerned, well, I don’t have much
idea about it. Upon searching the net, I found that people who got
such warnings usually missed some brackets “}” somewhere in the
code.
REPLY
Got it, I think

But does it matter which is used in this case that is?
It was a warning regarding the braces.
REPLY
Kunal March 7, 2013
really good , one of the best tuts tht i came acrossso far
REPLY
27 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Thanks Kunal!
REPLY
Surendar Devasundaram March 21, 2013
Hey Mayank awesome tutorail and the way yo answer all the doubts is
really cool
REPLY
Thank you Surendar!
REPLY
Luis March 27, 2013
Hi Mayank, I was surprised by your tutorials “max embedded” on AVR, are

great, I would like you to help me in reviewing a code about timer0, my
intention is to generate a 38 kHz frequency for an infrared LED and use
the ATMEGA48 this is my code:
Code can be found here.
I hope you can help me thank you very much and success!
REPLY
28 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Mayank April 3, 2013
Hi Luis,
There is only one register for Timer0, TCCR0 instead of TCCR0A
and TCCR0B. The same holds good for OCR0A. There is no such
register called so, only OCR0 exists. And you cannot assign a
floating point value to OCR register. I would suggest you to go
through my Timer0 tutorial. After that, try implementing it again,
and get back here in case you want it reviewed again!
REPLY
However, these registers are valid in some AVR microcontrollers.

Which microcontroller are you using?
REPLY
anurag March 30, 2013
awsm tutorial…
my all doubts are clear…
thnxx buddyy…
REPLY
29 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

REPLY
Hye Sang Ryu April 17, 2013
Hi!!
very good expaining..Thank you!
I’m second year of Electronics Engineering studying at Gangneung-Wonju
National University ,Gangneung – in South Korea.!!
Nice too meet you!..
REPLY
Hi!
Greetings from India!
Pleasure to have you here!
REPLY
Nayan May 15, 2013
Hi Mayank sir, thank u….for ur great tutorial …I have learn a lots…
REPLY
30 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

timogruss May 21, 2013
Your timer tutorials are great… best I ever read on the web…
Thanks a lot!
REPLY
Mayank May 21, 2013
Thank you!
REPLY
Alex June 29, 2013
I have a problem……I read the above tutorial and wrote a code for
producing a 38KHz signal to be used with a TSOP1738.Here is the code:
Code: http://pastebin.com/sDmPtz1H
What I should get is a constant (or flickering) output from the LED but what
i’m getting are small pulses when ever i obstruct the IR led and reintroduce
it back.
Is the timer part of the code correct??
Any solutions to the problem
REPLY
Mayank June 30, 2013
31 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Your setup is working exactly as it should! From what I read here,

TSOP1738 gives HIGH (+5V) when there is no IR source (i.e. you are
not obstructing the IR LED), and it gives a LOW signal (0V) when
there is a IR source centered at 38 kHz (i.e. you obstruct the IR
LED, thus the IR rays are emitted from the IR LED, bounces off
your hand and reaches the TSOP sensor. I guess that’s how you
tried it).
Now coming to your code, the TIMER0 is configured perfectly. And

in the code, you have connected your TSOP to PA0. Thus, by
default when there is no IR source, then PINA should be 0x01.
Thus, PINA & 0x01 becomes 0x01 and it goes to the else
condition i.e. LED at PB7 is turned OFF. Now when you obstruct
the IR LED, the IR rays reach the TSOP by bouncing off your hand
and PINA becomes 0x00. Thus PINA & 0x01 becomes 0x00 and
the if condition is executed, where the LED at PB7 is turned ON.
This is exactly how you have described in your query above.
Is this what you were looking for?
REPLY
Alex July 2, 2013
yeah it happens exactly how you described above….

but when i’m giving a constant 38Khz signal (no obstacles
in between) i should find the led on correct???….but in
reality its off.
also using another mcu i generated a 38Khz signal using
delay function (_delay_us(13)) and it worked perfectly fine
(led on when tsop radiated, off otherwise).
so i though the timer of my first mcu is gone …..i flashed
the timer code on the 2nd mcu and i’m still facing the
32 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

same problem.
REPLY
Mayank July 2, 2013
You mean to say that your setup is reacting

completely opposite – LED is ON with obstruction
and OFF without obstruction?
Just to be clear, you are using using an IR LED to
radiate IR at 38 kHz, which falls directly on a TSOP
sensor, right?
Btw, are you sure that you are generating 38 kHz
signal? Did you check it?
REPLY
George September 6, 2013
Hi again!!! In the first code example, in the while() loop, there is the
following line: if (TIFR & (1 <=’ used instead of ‘==’
I looked up for a ‘>=’ but I did not find anything. Is this my mistake? Thank
you.
REPLY
Yash September 7, 2013
Hello George
33 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Its if(TIFR & (1<<OCF1A)).

This if statement is used to compare the status of the bit OCF1A
bit with that in the TIFR Register (which is originally 0). If there is a
match, then the if statement would return a ’1′, and the following
conditional code would execute, else it would return a ’0′.
In other words, in the above code, what we are doing is that we
are setting the OCF1A bit to 1, and ANDing it with the TIFR register,
which would subsequently compare the value we set just now to
the OCF1A bit, with 0 (i.e. check for a status change in OCF1A).
I know this is a bit confusing to understand. It even to took me
some time to figure this one out
REPLY
if (TIFR & (1<=” used instead of “==”
REPLY
I cannot understand. I copy the line but the blog does not accept it. I type
the line with hands and still it does not appear correctly. Anyway, you may
find the line in the first code example, in the main() and in the while(1)
loop. Thanx!!!!
REPLY
34 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

It will seem funny Mr Yash but this CTC page went clear quite immediately.
But now, I will need your help definitely!!! I am a little bit confused with the
following syntax.
a) What does this means? (1 << OCF1A);

b) What does this means? TIFR |= (1 << OCF1A); Why aren;t we just writing
: TIFR |= 0×01; ?
Thank you in anticipation!!
REPLY
DDRD |= (1 << 5); // ok I found it. Set the fifth bit of D Port equal to
1.
So, 1 << OCF1A means : we set OCF1A , or OCF1A = 0×01
REPLY
jishan December 12, 2013
35 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

sir i want used timer.if port A0 pin is high then LED will on & after 1min
LED will automatically off.the input is IR sensor which is connected to A0
pin & LED is connected to D0 pin.please give me solution on that.
THANKS…
REPLY
Mayank (Max) December 12, 2013
Hi Jishan,
Your problem is simple. Which microcontroller are you using? If
the sensor is an analog one, you can use ADC. If it is a digital one,
then simple GPIO operations would suffice. You can also read this
on how to program digital IR sensors. Once you detect input, then
simply start the timer and then wait for some event. The event
could be an interrupt or compare match or overflow or anything.
Read my timer tutorials to know how to do that.
Best,
Max
REPLY
pablo December 12, 2013
36 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Hi,
Could you please explain this line:

(TIFR1 & (1 << OCF1A))
I don’t get it
REPLY
Hi Pablo,
This is a condition which checks whether the OCF1A flag in the
TIFR register is set(1) or not(0). And in case of AVR
microcontrollers (most of them), there is only one TIFR register,
and not TIFR1.
REPLY
Thank you very much Mayank!
It’s just strange to make if statements in that way (at least

to me). My mind tells me it should be something like:
register == 0b00000100 or register.bit == 1. But I guess
your way is the only way, right?
Anyway, your blog is great! keep it up!
REPLY
37 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Well, you could always use something like this: if

(TIFR & (1 << OCF1A) == true)
The syntax of if statement checks for any
condition inside the parenthesis ().
if (condition) {
// true
} else {
// false
}
Whenever you write any condition like, say,

count==20, what the comparison results is in
either true or false. This is because if can
compare only boolean conditions.
So, whenever you write TIFR & (1 << OCF1A),

the result of this condition is either 0 (when
OCF1A is not set) or some other value. The
condition of 0 is considered as false, which
means any other result will be taken as true. This
means we do not explicitly need to use the == for
comparison.
REPLY
I know I know.
I program in a couple of languages, so I’m
38 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

acquainted with the IF statment. It’s just

the way registers have to be mentioned
that is getting a little work…
But thx for the explanation anyway
Paule December 13, 2013
Hello Mayank,
I found this page while trying to fix a nasty bug in my code. Worked on a
Atmega16A with two timers, both are polled for CTC flag (one inside an
interrupt routine, one in main loop).
Bug had to do with access to TIFR register:

You should never ever do TIFR |= (1 << OCF1A), because this will
delete flags of other timers, if they are set (overflow / compare). Probably
you do not intend this behaviour.
Better use TIFR = (1 << OCF1A) or, if you need to use interrupts, mask
the appropriate bis.
Nevertheless, great article! So … thank you
Paule
REPLY
Hi Paule,
Sorry for the late reply. I didn’t get the point you want to state
39 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

here. As far as I know, we should always use OR to set the flag,

since this will not modify other flags. The OR operation is used as
bit mask in this case. See this for more information on bit
manipulation.
Best,
Max
REPLY
hasham nisar February 19, 2014
MAYANK sir can you write a code in which timer 0 use as a CTC MoDE
?
REPLY
Mayank (Max) February 19, 2014
Nope, I can’t. We don’t write codes for people. We teach them

concepts. I’m sure you are smart enough to write one yourself
after reading this tutorial. Enjoy!
REPLY
hasham nisar February 20, 2014
40 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

ok Thanks sir i will try…
REPLY
Mayank (Max) February 21, 2014
Good luck with that. If you have trouble making

sense out of any concept, feel free to post a
comment. But please read the entire thing and try
your best to understand it before putting it down
here. Thanks.
REPLY
jyotendra sharma March 19, 2014
Hello Mayank sir,

Thanks for such a nice website. I have been following it for last 2 years
(when I was in 2nd yr) to learn embedded and can’t imagine starting any
project without referring it once – its kind of notes copy for me.
You have added new page on embedded linux – can you bring on some
more about porting linux to ARM processors. (Standalone processors – not
some kind of kit.)
Please keep up the good work.
REPLY
Gonzalo April 13, 2014
41 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

REPLY
Max April 13, 2014
Thank you Gonzalo!
REPLY
VenkateshSai May 20, 2014
Aim : To dipaly ADC value every 1 sec and take appropriate action.
AVR : ATMEGA328p
Timer used : 16 bit only
Board : ARDUINO UNO
ISR shared var not incrementing,
REPLY
Max May 20, 2014
VenkateshSai,
It’d have been more helpful if you would have provided more
information about your problem. How can you expect a response
when you don’t even tell properly what’s wrong?!
42 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

REPLY
2tricky May 29, 2014
Thanks Max for your efforts with this tricky subject.
However may I pick your brains further – as I can’t decide which way to go
for my application…
My aim is to monitor a quadrature encoder at a point in its motion where

it is quite slow still and insert extra pulses into the train of both encoder
channels (A & B) whilst they are both low. The A+B+ ‘edges’ at the initial
speed are about 1.25 ms apart. As this is my first direct port ‘stuff’ I’ve
proven the idea (approximately) using the External Interrupts but whilst
doing so, ran into a problem when milli() time stamping inside the ISR – far
worse than would be expected from milli() not incrementing inside an ISR.
So I wondered about using proper hardware time-stamps – but having
crammed the subject so intensely, I can’t see the wood for the trees!
As I see it, an obvious approach is to time stamp from one edge to the
next and when those stamps represent the correct pair, insert the
new/shorter pulse after a calculated delay from the last channel to go low.
Eventually the original pulse needs to ‘carry on’ after I’ve inserted about
100 extra pulses (guesstimate) and so my aim is to focus on adding one
pulse for each in the original. May I ask, what approach would you
gravitate to first?
Thanks a lot.
REPLY
Max June 22, 2014
Hi, sorry for the late response. Frankly speaking, your explanation
43 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

didn’t make much sense to me. I am afraid that I can’t give you any
suggestion on this. If you could describe it a little more and in
simple sentences, I might. Sorry!
REPLY
Max April 1, 2014
Hey Jyotendra,
We’re on it! It’s next on our list! Till then, try to get your hands on one of
them.
REPLY
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AVR Timers – PWM Mode – Part I « maxEmbedded - [...] AVR Timers – CTC Mode [...]
AVR Timers – PWM Mode – Part II « maxEmbedded - [...] so I won’t be writing any
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Introduction to AVR Timers « maxEmbedded - [...] from normal operation, these
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Home Atmel AVR AVR Timers – CTC Mode

Posted by Max on Jul 14, 2011 in Atmel AVR, Microcontrollers | 85 comments

AVR Timers – CTC Mode

1 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Timers. Till now, we have covered the following topics

Introduction to AVR Timers

1 max = 39999; // max timer value set <--- set point

2 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Methodology – Using CTC Mode

TCCR1A and TCCR1B Registers

The Timer/Counter1 Control Register B – TCCR1B Register is as follows:

3 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Wave Generation Mode Bit Description

TCCR1B |= (1 << WGM12)|(1 << CS11)|(1 << CS10);

OCR1A and OCR1B Registers

4 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

do we set such and such values? The Output Compare Register 1A –

OCR1A = 24999; // timer compare value

We are interested in Bit 4:3 – OCF1A:B – Timer/Counter1, Output

5 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Methodology – Using Interrupts with CTC Mode

6 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

In the previous methodology, we simply used the CTC Mode of operation.

Thus, to summarize, whenever a match occurs (TCNT1 becomes equal to

Interrupt Service Routine (ISR)

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8 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Non-PWM mode (normal / CTC mode)

Compare Output Mode, non-PWM

But we need to compromise on the hardware. Only PD5 or PD4 (OC1A or

Now let’s see how the code looks like!

Forcing Compare Match

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CTC Mode – TIMER0

Bit 6:3 – WGM01:0 – Wave Generation Mode – Just like in TIMER1, we

10 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

Wave Generation Mode Bit Description

Compare Output Mode, non-PWM

The value to be compared (max 255) is stored in this register.

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The Bit 1 – OCIE0 – Timer/Counter0 Output Compare Match Interrupt

The Bit 1 – OCF0 – Output Compare Flag 0 is set whenever a compare

CTC Mode – TIMER2

So till then, subscribe to my blog to stay updated! Alternatively, you

12 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

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hemanth December 12, 2011

13 von 46 26.06.2014 14:12

thanks a lot….each and every thing is given in clear manner

Martin Matysiak February 4, 2012

Abdus Sami March 3, 2012

Great article, presented in a lovely manner.

Mayank March 7, 2012

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