LAB 4: UART

ADMINISTRATIONS

Week 10 (11/19): Term project check point #1

Make

your robot car move

Forward, backward, turn left, turn right

Avoid

Obstacles

UART
UART: Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter
Two

wires: Rx, Tx
Full duplex
Asynchronous

No common clock required

Without common clock

How

do they communicate??

Rx

Tx

Tx

Rx

UNIVERSAL DATA RATES

Two devices agree on same data rate

Baudrate:

second)

1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, , (bits per

A

(1 MHz system clock)

Baudrate
generator

9600

UART

(8 MHz system clock)

UART

9600 Baudrate

generator

Baudrate: 9600
bps
Length of a bit =
1/9600 (seconds)

UART DATA

Send one character at a time

Data

One start bit

Pull-up the line for one or two slots

Simple error checking: parity (optional)

Pull-down the line

7 or 8 bits data
One or two stop bit

This bit became parity bit

when parity checking is
enabled

Even parity: If the data has odd number of 1, parity bit = 1 (make
it even); else parity bit = 0
Odd parity: If the data has even number of 1, parity bit = 1 (make
it odd); else parity bit = 0

Four parameters for UART communication

Baudrate, data-bit, parity, stop-bit

We wrote: 9600 8N1,

Means: baudrate=9600, 8-bit data, no parity, 1 stop bit

APPLICATIONS

All you need to do is properly

configure UART for both sides
(baudrate, data-bit, parity, stop-bit),
and start sending/receiving data

RS232 IC

USB

UART

MSP43
0

Todays
Labs

COM PORT

Other
Sensors

PC or
other
systems

USB
serial
IC
(FT232)
Other
systems
RS485 IC

RS485 IC

UART MODULES ON MSP430

Two UART modules on MSP430F1611

USART0

USART

and USART1

Universal

Synchronous/Asynchronous Receive

Transmit
The USART0 module support 3 protocols
UART
SPI
I2C

The

USART1 module support 2 protocols

UART
SPI

Two protocols cannot operate simultaneously on

one module

UART MODULES ON MSP430

There are
multiplexed with
digital I/O pins,
remember to set
the PxSEL
register properly

SPI
pins
UART pins

I2C pins

USART CONNECTIONS ON TAROKO

Taroko
MSP430F161
1
USART
1
USART
0

Taroko Schematic

The UART pins and I2C

pins are connected to the
expansion connector, so
you can connect external
sensors through UART or
I2C interface on USART0
module

FT232
USB
serial
IC
UART
I2C

Expansion
Connector
(U2)

PC

SP
I

CC2420
Radio IC

The USART0 module is

shared
If you connected an external
sensor through UART/I2C
interface

When you are using radio,

you cannot read sensor
When you are reading
sensor, you cannot use radio

Taroko use SPI on

USART0 module to
control the radio
IC.

UART MODE

Three or more devices (multiprocessor format)

Character Format

Tx
Rx

Tx
Rx

Tx
Rx

Rx
Tx

Rx
Tx

Two devices

Seldom use,
we wouldnt
talk about it

For
multiprocessor
format, not use

Usually we use
8-bit data

UART RECEIVE AND TRANSMIT

Receive

Transmit

Set URXEx= 1 to
enable the
receiver

Set UTXEx= 1 to
enable the
transmitter

When the module

detects a valid start
bit, it will start
collect the rest of
the bits

When data is
written to the
transmit buffer
(UxTXBUF), a
transmission start

When all the bits are

collected, the received
character will be
written to a buffer
register (UxRXBUF)
and issues an
interrupt.

To transmit another byte. You MUST

wait until the previous data has
transmitted.
If it is ready to transmit
A flag UTXIFGx will set to 1
Two ways to detect
An Interrupt
A while loop to check the flag

BAUD RATE GENERATION

UART clock source frequency must larger than (3*baud
rate)!
DCO (SMCLK)

UART Clock
Source

32768 Hz
(ACLK)

Desire baud
rate
For Example:
UART Clock Source =
32768
Desire baud rate = 2400
Divider = 32768/2400 =
Fractional
13.653
part
UxBR = 13,
=
0.653

The divider setting controlled by three 8-bit registers

Divide
r

UxBR0, UxBR1, and UxMCTL

The equation

UxBR = (UxBR1 << 8) + UxBR0

Total bits

1 start, 8 data, 1 parity, 1 stop

11 bits in total (n = 11)

Integer
part

MODULATIONS

UxMCTL determine the fractional part

Bit
0

Bit
7

UxMCTL 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1
m7

m6

m5

m4

m3 m2
m10

m1 m0
m9 m8

1 n 1
mi 0.653
n i 0

For Example:
UART Clock Source =
32768
Desire baud rate = 2400
Divider = 32768/2400 =
13.653
UxBR = 13,
=
0.653

You knowthe
0.653 n 7 of mi should be 7
msummation
n 1

But

i 0

what is the right combination

DETERMINING THE UXMCTL

Individual bit error

Baud rate, BRCLK, and UxBR are known

Choose a combination of m0 m7

For

UxMCTL
Bit
0 1 1 0 1 0 1 01

Bit
7

each bit, calculate the bit error

m
m
m
Find the maximum bit error among all the
bits
7

m4

m3 m2
m10

This is the bit error of this combination

Choose another combination and calculate again

Select the combination that has minimum bit
error

m1 m0
m9 m8

EXAMPLE

n 1

m
i 0

Bit
0

Bit
7

0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1
m0
m8

m1
m9

m2 m3
m10

m4

Useful resource!!!

m5

m6

m7

0.653 n 7
Bit
0

Bit
7

1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1
m0
m8

http://mspgcc.sourceforge.net/baudrate.html

m1
m9

m2 m3
m10

m4

m5

m6

m7

UART INTERRUPTS

Two interrupt vectors

Transmission interrupt vector

Reception interrupt vector

Transmission interrupt

When UxTXBUF (transmit buffer) is ready to accept another character

(previous transmission is complete)

The interrupt request is clear automatically when

An interrupt request is generated

UTXIFGx interrupt flag is set

The request is serviced

Or, a character is written to UxTXBUF

Reception interrupt

When a character is received

An interrupt request is generated

URXIFGx interrupt flag is set

The interrupt request is clear automatically when

The request is serviced

Or, UxRXBUF is read

WAIT FOR TRANSMISSION

transmit another byte. You MUST wait
until the previous data has transmitted

To

Two ways to do

By a while loop
By Interrupt
1.Enable transmit interrupt
2.When it is ready to transmit
another byte, it will generate
an interrupt request
3.Transmit next byte in the
ISR

Program will
branch to the ISR,
need extra CPU
cycles

1.No matter you enable or

disable the transmit interrupt,
the UTXIFGx will set to 1 when it
is ready to transmit another byte
2.Use a while loop to check the
flag
While(!(IFG1 & UTXIFG0)
3.Transmit next byte after the
while loop

Could possibly hang

in the while loop

UXCTL

You MUST held

UART logic in reset
state when you
setting the UART
registers

UXTCTL

Select
clock
source

If you want to
disable the
transmitter, wait
until this bit is set
to 1

UXRCTL

Error Detection
Framing
error

A low stop bit detected (stop bit must

be high)

Parity
error

When you enable parity check, an

parity error detected

Overrun
error

A new character received before

previous character has been read

Break
detect

More than 10 bits of zero detected

OTHER REGISTERS

Baud rate control registers

UxBR0,

UxBR1, and UxMCTL

Receive and transmit buffer

UxRXBUF

and UxTXBUF

Module enable registers

Enable/disable

For UART0

transmitter and receiver

For UART1

INTERRUPT REGISTERS

Interrupt enable registers

Interrupt
flag registers
For UART0

For UART0

For UART1

For UART1

INITIALIZATION/RECONFIGURATION UART

There are specific process flow to follow

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Set SWRST
Initialize all UART registers when SWRST=1
Enable UART module (ME1 or ME2)
Clear SWRST (SWRST=0)
Enable interrupts (optional)

Failure to follow this process may result in

unpredictable USART behavior

PROBLEMS WITH CLOCK SOURCE

To generate appropriate baud rate, you must know the

frequency of UART clock source
Two clock source avaible
ACLK = 32768 Hz
SMCLK = DCO (frequency??)

UART clock source frequency must larger than (3*baud

rate)!
For 32768 clock source, max baud rate is 10922 (9600)
Problems
What if you need faster baud rate
Error increase when baud rate is close to clock rate

We need faster clock source

SET DCO

We talk about how to adjust DCO frequency in lab 2

But it is not very accurate

We can use a more accurate clock to set the frequency of

DCO precisely

Use timer capture mode

Latch the current timer counter value into TxCCRx register
Use an accurate clock as a capture source
Example:
Timer clock source = DCO
Use DCO as timer clock source
Capture source = ACLK/8 = 32768/8 = 4096

Capture at every
raising edge

Capture_
1

When a capture occurred,

the value of timer counter is
copy to the TxCCRx register
Capture_2

You can adjust the DCO by setting the

registers until you get the desire frequency
you want

Capture
source
Timer Clock source
Counter increase at
every raising edge

Hz
If Capture_1 = 3000
Capture_2 = 3250
Freq. of DCO = (3250 3000) * 4096 =
1024000 Hz

You know the frequency of capture source.

frequency of timer clock source
= (Capture_2 Capture_1) * Freq. of capture
sourcev

TODAYS LABS

Lab 1: Set DCO

You dont have to write the routine by yourself, use the sample code
on course webpage (sample code form TI)
The routine sets the ACLK to 32768/8 = 4096 Hz
It use a variable DELTA to set the frequency of DCO

DONT set the DCO too high or too low (check datasheet)

Use program in previous lab

See the LED flashed at a certain rate

If DCO = 1000000 Hz
i = 125000
The LED should flash approximately
every second

int is 16-bit long

Set DCO

This while loop takes

exactly 11 cycles for 16bit operation

LAB 2: SEND TO PC
Use the sample file on course webpage
Setting UART registers
UART setting

Baudrate

= 57600, 8-bit data, no parity, 1 stop bit

Use the program in Lab 3, sense the infrared

sensor
Send the distance value to your computer
Use a terminal program (realterm) to receive the
values

LAB 3: RECEIVE FROM PC

From the terminal program on PC, send the

following byte sequences (in Hexidecimal) to
Taroko
5A

A5 53 54 41 52 54 0D 0A
5A A5 53 4C 45 45 50 0D 0A

UART setting
Baudrate

= 9600, 8-bit data, no parity, 1 stop bit

Configure your Taroko to receive these two

sequence correctly

TAROKO USB DRIVER

Download Taroko USB virtual com port driver

http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/CDM/CDM%202.02.04.exe

Install driver

Plug Taroko to you computers USB port, you should see

Device
manager

TERMINAL PROGRAM

Realterm

http://realterm.sourceforge.net/

Download Realterm program

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=67297

Install the program

Open the program by this way

Enter
baud rate

Click Start-up -> click run

"C:\Program Files\BEL\Realterm\realterm.exe" baud=9600
port=63

Enter
COM
port

REALTERM

Displa
y
format

REALTERM

UART
setting

Click here can

open/close the
port

REALTERM

Capture data
to a file

REALTERM

Send out
data