Timers and delays

This chapter introduces the possibility of timing the microcontrollers - timers and delays. These are helpful in applications which require time measuring, make breaks or time processes precisely. By their nature, timers and delays are different form on side but on the other hand they are quite similar. The timers are physical modules of microcontroller which are functioning independently from the processor of the microcontroller, delays are software like parts of a program which are using working time of a processor. But provisionally can be said that both are working by counting the töötakt?? of the microcontrollers.

Both methods have their pros and cons; those are covered in the exercises. To be correct we must say the in the beginning the timers were separate integrated circuits not a part of a microcontroller. Separate timer chips exist also today because in some applications the microcontrollers are not needed and some timers are more capable than those that are integrated into the microcontroller.

Timers are developed from being simple time counting devices to complex signal receiving or signal generating systems. They modulate and demodulate signals and they are capable to multiple or divide clocks (taktsignaal?). There are also special time to digital converters (TDC), which can register time in picoseconds, but we are staying to the more simple timers.