Programming Microcontrollers

B. Furman
19MAR2011

Learning Objectives

Explain and apply best practices in writing a

program for a microcontroller
Explain the structure of a program for the
Arduino
Explain the concept of a bit mask and use it to
determine if a bit is clear or set
Use bit-wise logical operators to create bit
masks and extract bits

Mechatronics Concept Map

Power
Source

User
Interface

ME 106
ME 120

Controller
ME 106

(Hardware & Software)

Power
Interface
INTEGRATION

ME 106
ME 154
ME 157
ME 195

Signal
Conditioning

ME 106
ME 190
ME 187

ME 106
ME 120

Actuator
Sensor
System to
Control ME 110

ME 182
ME 136 ME 189
ME 154 ME 195
ME 157

ME 120
ME 297A

BJ Furman 22JAN11

Recap Last Lecture

Binary and hex numbers

Digital pins can be inputs or outputs

Why use hex?

What is the difference?

Pins are bidirectional for digital I/O

Which Arduino function do you use?

DDRx (x = B, C, or D for ATmega328) register
determines direction

8-bit register
7

a 1 in DDRx means?
a 0 in DDRx means?

Test Your Comprehension

Write code to make all pins of PORTD to be

outputs (Arduino and alternate)

DDRD = 0xFF;
DDRD = 0b11111111;
DDRD = 255;

Arduino style
pinMode(0, OUTPUT);
pinMode(7, OUTPUT);

Write code to make pins 5, 3, and 1 of

PORTD to be outputs, and the rest inputs

DDRD = 0b00101010;
DDRD = 0x2A;

DDRD | = (1<<5) | (1<<3) | (1<<1);

Arduino style
pinMode(1, OUTPUT);
pinMode(3, OUTPUT);
pinMode(5, OUTPUT);

Structure of an Arduino Program

An arduino program == sketch

Must have:

setup()

setup()
loop()
configures pin modes and
registers

loop()

runs the main body of the

program forever

like while(1) {}

Where is main() ?

Arduino simplifies things

Does things for you

/* Blink - turns on an LED for DELAY_ON msec,

then off for DELAY_OFF msec, and repeats
BJ Furman rev. 1.1 Last rev: 22JAN2011
*/
#define LED_PIN= 13; // LED on digital pin 13
#define DELAY_ON = 1000;
#define DELAY_OFF = 1000;
void setup()
{
// initialize the digital pin as an output:
pinMode(LED_PIN, OUTPUT);
}
// loop() method runs forever,
// as long as the Arduino has power
void loop()
{
digitalWrite(LED_PIN, HIGH); // set the LED on
delay(DELAY_ON); // wait for DELAY_ON msec
digitalWrite(LED_PIN, LOW); // set the LED off
delay(DELAY_OFF); // wait for DELAY_OFF msec
}

Best Practices and Patterns -1

Programmers block

At a minimum:

Program name
Description of what
the program does
Author
Revision number
Revision date/time

Even better:

Creation date
Inputs
Outputs
Method/algorithm

/* Blink - turns on an LED for DELAY_ON msec, then

off for DELAY_OFF msec, and repeats
BJ Furman rev. 1.1 Last rev: 22JAN2011
*/

Best Practices and Patterns -2

Avoid hard coding

constants

Use #define and

symbolic names
instead

Why?

Symbolic names are

usually put in all
caps to differentiate
from variables
See me106.h

#define LED_PIN = 13; // LED on digital pin 13

#define DELAY_ON = 1000;
#define DELAY_OFF = 1000;

How to Twiddle Bits

Recall the example of the seat belt

indicator system

ATmega328
D3

C code snippet (not full program)

#define LATCHED 0
#define ENGAGED 0
pinMode(0, INPUT); // key switch
pinMode(1, INPUT); // belt latch switch
pinMode(2, OUTPUT); // lamp
pinMode(3, OUTPUT); // buzzer
key_state=digitalRead(0);
belt_state=digitalRead1);
if(key_state==ENGAGED)
if(belt_state==LATCHED)
digitalWrite(3, LOW);
digitalWrite(2, LOW);
else
digitalWrite(2, HIGH);
digitalWrite(3, HIGH);
else
;

D2
VTG= +5V

D0, D1
0

Bit Manipulation Practice

See the handout on Bit Manipulation

Setting bits
Clearing bits
Toggling bits

Challenge:
Make bits 5 and 3 of PORTB high and the rest low

Summary of Bit Manipulation

Setting a bit (making it a 1)

Bitwise OR the PORTx register with the

corresponding bit mask

Clearing a bit (making it a 0)

Bitwise AND the PORTx register with the

corresponding complemented bit mask

Ex. PORTB | = _BV(3);

Ex. PORTB & = ~( _BV(3) );

Toggling a bit (making it flip)

Bitwise XOR the PORTx register with the

corresponding bit mask

Ex. PORTB ^ = _BV(3);

Bit Twiddling Practice

Make Arduino pins 11 13 to be outputs and

pins 8 10 to be inputs
Use the Arduino method
Use the all-at-once (general) method

1.
2.

Check if pin 9 is high

If pin 9 is high, make pin 13 high and pin 11 low

1.
2.

Else both pins 13 should be low

Use the Arduino method

Use the general port-style method

Pull-up Resistors

Pins configured as INPUTS can be pulled

up to VTG

Why is this useful?

Puts an input pin in a known state (logic high) if no
external influence has pulled it down (to logic low)
Example of a switch connected between a pin and
ground

How is it done?
When the pin is configured as an input, SET the
corresponding bit in PORTxn
Undone by clearing the bit

Redo Seat Belt Sensor System

Use port-style programming

#define LATCHED 0
#define ENGAGED 0
DDRD | = _BV(2) | _BV(3); // D2 and D3 are OUTPUTs
PORTD | = _BV(0) | _BV(1); // turn on pull-ups for D0 and D1
current_state = ~PIND; // invert for active-low switches
key_state=current_state & ( _BV(0) )
belt_state=current_state & ( _BV(1) )
if(key_state==ENGAGED)
if(belt_state==LATCHED)
PORTD & = ~( _BV(2) | _BV(3) ); // buzzer and lamp off
else
PORTD | = ( _BV(2) | _BV(3) ); // buzzer and lamp on
else
PORTD & = ~( _BV(2) | _BV(3) ); // buzzer and lamp off

ATmega328
D3
D2
VTG= +5V

D0, D1
0

Key on D0
Belt on D1

Recap ATmega Digital I/O

Pins are bi-directional. Can configure as:

Inputs _______ determines the pin voltage

Outputs ______ determines the pin voltage
Direction determined by bits in DDRx register

Where x is B, C, D for the ATmega328 (and DDRx

corresponds to all 8 pins associated with the port)

If configured as output:

Program can specify a pin to be high (VTG) or low (GND) by

writing a corresponding 1 or 0 (respectively) to PORTx
register

Ex. To make Port D pins 7, 3, and 4 low, and the rest high
PORTD=___________; (write in binary, then in hex)

Recap ATmega Digital I/O, cont.

If pins configured as input, this means:

External device can pull pin voltage high or low

i.e. take up to VTG or take down to GND

You can determine the state of the port

pins by reading the PINx register
Grabs all eight logic levels at the same time
PD7
Ex. PORTD configured as inputs

uint8_t a_pins;
a_pins=PIND;
What is the content of a_pins:
binary:__________
hex:_____

PD6
PD5
PD4
PD3
PD2
PD1
PD0

VTG

Recap ATmega Digital I/O, cont.

If pins configured as input, cont.:

Can turn pull-up resistors on or off by

writing a 1 or 0 to corresponding pins
in PORTx

A pull-up resistor internally connects a

pin to VTG to give it a defined state
(logic high, i.e., 1)

Ex. Write the code that will:

Make Port D pins inputs
Turn on pull-up resistors
Read the voltages on the pins and store
them in a variable, testD
What is the value of testD in binary
and hex?

PD7
PD6
PD5
PD4
PD3
PD2
PD1
PD0

VTG

Reading PORTD Pins Example

unsigned char testD;

PD7

DDRD=0;

PD6

testD=PIND;

PD5

What is the content of testD?

PD3

PD4

binary: 11111001

PD2

hex: F9

PD0

PD1

VTG

ATmega328 Features

ATmega328 data sheet p. 1

http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod_documents/doc8271.pdf

ATmega328 Internal Architecture

ATmega328 data sheet pp. 2, 5

PORT Pin
Schematics

ATmega328 datasheet, pp. 76-77

ATmega328 Port Pin Details

See the ATmega328 data sheet, pp. 76-94
Port pin functionality is controlled by three
register (special memory location) bits:

DDRx

PORTxn

Data Direction bit in DDRx register (read/write)

PORTxn bit in PORTx data register (read/write)

PINxn

PINxn bit in PINx register (read only)