Frequency Counter Using Pic Micro Controller

FREQUENCY COUNTER USING PIC MICROCONTROLLER
ABSTRACT
The multiplexed seven segment display PIC frequency counter uses the PIC
microcontrollers for operation.
This PIC frequency counter circuit uses a multiplexed seven segment display and
uses timer 1 to count edges of the input signal.
It uses the simpler method of direct frequency measurement which is easy to do

but means that the number of digits displayed depends on the input frequency.
This frequency counter circuit uses TMR1 in 16 bit counter mode to count the
input signal edges. Counter overflows are accumulated to give the total count in
multiples of 65536. Adding the current value of the counter at the end gives the
total count.
Since the measurement time is 1 second the final count is actually the frequency of
the input signal.
Using the 1 second measurement time also gives a frequency resolution of 1 Hz.
The microcontroller used is PIC16F877A.
Frequency counter
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A simple frequency counter measures frequency by counting the number of edges
of an input signal over a defined period of time (T).
A more complex method is reciprocal counting.
Frequency is defined as (Number of events) / (time in seconds) and measured in

Hz.
To make calculations trivial using a 1 second gate time (T) gives a direct reading
of frequency from the edge counter.
Making a frequency counter for frequencies up to 65.536kHz is easy as the

counters in a PIC chip can count up to 65535 without overflowing.
Up to 65.535kHz all you do is wait for 1 second while the count accumulates, read
the value and display it. It will be the frequency in Hertz. Above 65.536kHz you
have to monitor the overflow value while at the same time making an accurate
delay time (T).
Note: Using a 1 second measurement period results in the frequency counter

count value being a direct measurement of frequency requiring no further
processing. It also means that the measurement is resolved to 1Hz. (Increasing T
to 10s resolves to 0.1Hz while using T=0.1s gives a resolution of 10Hz).
Crystal oscillator
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For the following projects the crystal oscillator (of the microcontroller) is used as
the timebase. In these projects measurement of T (set at one second) is made by
executing a delay that takes a set number of machine cycles.
Using a 4MHz oscillator gives a machine cycle of 1MHz (a period of 1us) which
makes calculating and setting time delays fairly easy since most PIC instructions
execute in one machine cycle. So executing 1,000,000 of these cycles gives a
delay of 1 second.
Frequency counter accuracy
The accuracy of the frequency counter depends on the accuracy of the crystal
driving the microcontroller.
ppm calculation
This is specified in ppm or parts per million. Its actually quite simple: taking an
example of ±50ppm for a 4Mhz crystal. The error that the crystal could have
(assuming that the crystal is loaded with the correct capacitance) will be in the
range :
Maximum possible error 4MHz + (4MHz x 50 x 1e-6) = 4.0002e6

Maximum possible error 4MHz - (4MHz x 50 x 1e-6) = 39998e6
So the crystal could oscillate at any frequency between 4000200Hz and

3999800Hz. Note that this frequency can be changed by changing the loading
capacitance on the crystal.
The delay time is the important measurement so for the above crystal at fosc/4) for
the cycle time of the PIC chip (nominally 1MHz) we have:
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Max cycle time : 1/(1.00005e6) or 1/(1MHz + 50ppm)
Min cycle time : 1/(0.99995e6) or 1/(1MHz - 50ppm)
Multiply by 1e6 to give a 1 second period gives the delay time
Min delay time : 1e6/(1.00005e6) 0.99995s or (1s - 1s x 50ppm) seconds.

Max delay time : 1e6/(9.9995e6) 1.00005s or (1s + 1s x 50ppm) seconds.
So you don't have to calculate all the intermediate steps just use the ppm value
directly.
Note: If you have a reference oscillator that is more accurate than the crystal used
in the frequency counter project then you can calibrate the project crystal. You
can do this by adjusting a variable capacitor on one side of the crystal oscillator
circuit while reading the output frequency displayed. If you don't have a reference
then just use a fixed capacitor to give the correct parallel load capacitance for the
crystal you use.
Common crystals
Commonly available crystals have a ppm specification of ±30ppm to ±50ppm

(part per million error) but you can buy crystals with a ppm of ±20ppm. The
smaller the ppm value (the smaller the error) the more accurately you can measure
frequency.
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PIC MICROCONTROLLERS
A PIC microcontroller is a processor with built in memory and RAM and you can
use it to control your projects (or build projects around it). So it saves you
building a circuit that has separate external RAM, ROM and peripheral chips.
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What this really means for you is that you have a very powerful device that has
many useful built in modules e.g.
• EEPROM.
• Timers.
• Analogue
comparators.
• UART.
Even with just these four modules (note these are just example modules - there are
more) you can make up many projects e.g.:
* Frequency counter - using the internal timers and reporting through UART
(RS232) or output to LCD.
* Capacitance meter - analogue comparator oscillator.
* Event timer - using internal timers.
* Event data logger -capturing analogue data using an internal ADC and using
the internal EEPROM for storing data (using an external I2C for high data storage
capacity.
* Servo controller (Control through UART) - using the internal PWM module or
using a software created PWM.
The PIC Micro is one of the most popular microcontrollers and in case you were
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wondering the difference between a microprocessor and a microcontroller is that a
microcontroller has an internal bus within built memory and peripherals.
In fact the 8 pin (DIL) version of the 12F675 has an amazing number of internal
peripherals. These are:
• Two timers.
• One 10bit ADC with 4 selectable inputs.
• An internal oscillator (or you can use an external crystal).
• An analogue comparator.
• 1024 words of program memory
• 64 Bytes of RAM.
• 128 Bytes of EEPROM memory.
• External interrupt (as well as interrupts from internal peripherals).
• External crystal can go up to 20MHz.
• ICSP : PIC standard programming interface.
And all of these work from within an 8 pin DIL package!
In the mid-range devices the memory space ranges from 1k to 8k (18F parts have
more) - this does not sound like a lot but the processor has an efficient instruction
set and you can make useful projects even with 1k e.g. LM35 temperature sensing
project that reports data to the serial port easily fits within 1k.
Features
In fact a PIC microcontroller is an amazingly powerful fully featured processor

with internal RAM, EEROM FLASH memory and peripherals. One of the
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smallest ones occupies the space of a 555 timer but has a 10bit ADC, 1k of
memory, 2 timers, high current I/O ports a comparator a watch dog timer... I could
go on as there is more!
Programming
One of the most useful features of a PIC Microcontroller is that you can re-
program them as they use flash memory (if you choose a part with an F in the part
number e.g. 12F675 not 12C509). You can also use the ICSP serial interface built
into each PIC Microcontroller for programming and even do programming while
it's still plugged into the circuit!
You can either program a PIC microcontroller using assembler or a high level
language and I recommend using a high level language such as C as it is much
easier to use (after an initial learning curve). Once you have learned the high level
language you are not forced to use the same processor e.g. you could go to an
AVR or Dallas microcontroller and still use the same high level language.
Input / Output - I/O
A PIC Microcontroller can control outputs and react to inputs e.g. you could drive
a relay or read input buttons.
With the larger devices it's possible to drive LCDs or seven segment displays with
very few control lines as all the work is done inside the PIC Micro.
Comparing a frequency counter to discrete web designs you'll find two or three
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chips for the microcontroller design and ten or more for a discrete design. So using
them saves prototype design effort as you can use built in peripherals to take care
of lots of the circuit operation.
Many now have a built in ADC so you can read analogue signal levels so you
don't need to add an external devices e.g. you can read an LM35 temperature
sensor directly with no interface logic.
Peripherals
The PIC microcontroller has many built in peripherals and this can make using
them quite daunting at first which is why I have made this introductory page with
a summary of each major peripheral block.
At the end is a short summary of the main devices used in projects shown on this
site.
The best way to start is to learn about the main features of a chip and then begin to
use each peripheral in a project. I think learning by doing is the best way.
PIC microcontroller PIC microcontroller

Feature feature description
Flash memory Re-programmable program storage.
RAM Memory storage for variables.
Long term stable memory : Electrically Erasable
EEPROM
Programmable Read Only Memory.
I/O ports High current Input/Output ports (with pin direction change).
Timers/Counters Typically 3.
USART Built in RS232 protocol (only needs level translator chip).
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CCP Capture/Compare/PWM module.

SSP I2C and SPI Interfaces.
Comparator An analogue comparator and internal voltage reference.
ADC Analogue to digital converter.
PSP Parallel Slave Port (for 8 bit microprocessor systems).
LCD LCD interface.
Special features ICSP,WDT,BOR,POR,PWRT,OST,SLEEP
ICSP Simple programming using In Circuit Serial Programming.
Note:these are some of the main features

(some chips have all of these and some don't).
Flash memory
This is the program storage area and gives you the most important benefit for
using a PIC microcontroller - You program the device many times. Since when
does anyone get a program right first time?
Devices used in projects on this site can be re-programmed up to 100,000 times

(probably more) as they use Flash memory - these have the letter F in the part
name. You can get cheaper (OTP) devices but these are One-Time-
Programmable; once programmed you can't program it again!
ICSP
In Circuit Serial Programming (ICSP) is the next most important benefit. Instead
of transferring your chip from the programmer to the development board you just
leave it in the board. By arranging the programming connections to your circuit
correctly you won't need to remove the chip!
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You can re-program the device while it's still in the circuit so once your
programmer is setup you can leave it on the bench and test your programs without
moving the chip around and it makes the whole process much easier.
I/O Ports
Input / Output ports let you communicate with the outside world so you can
control leds, LCDs or just about anything with the right interface. You can also
set them as inputs to gather information.
Pin direction
Most PIC microcontroller pins can be set as an input or and output and this can be
done on the fly e.g. for a dallas 1 wire system a pin can be written to generate data
and read at a later stage. The TRIS register controls the I/O direction and setting a
bit in this register to zero sets the pin as output while setting it as one sets the pin
as input.
This allows you to use a pin for multiple operations e.g. the Real Time clock
project uses RA0, the first pin of PORTA, to output data to a seven segment
display and at a later point in the program read the analogue value as an input.
Current
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The PIC I/O ports are high current ports capable of directly driving LEDs (up to
25ma output current) - the total current allowed usually ~200mA this is often for
the whole chip (or specified for several ports combined together).
Timer / Counters
Each PIC microcontroller has up to three timers that you can either use as a timer
or a counter (Timer 1 & 2) or a baud clock (Timer 2).
Timer 0
The original timer: Timer 0 was the first timer developed and you can find it in all
the earliest devices e.g. 16F84 up to the most current e,g, 16F877A.
It is an 8 bit timer with an 8 bit prescaler that can be driven from an internal
(Fosc/4) or external clock. It generates an interrupt on overflow when the count
goes from 255 to zero.
Timer 0 always synchronizes the input clock (when using external clock).
Note: You can read and write timer 0 but you can not read the prescaler.
Note: The prescaler changes its effect depending on whether it is a timer prescaler
or a watch dog prescaler - so the same prescaler setting may prescale by 2 or by 1
depending on its use!
Timer 1
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This is a 16 bit timer that generates an overflow interrupt when it goes from 65535
to zero. It has an 8 bit programmable prescaler and you can drive it from the
internal clock (Fosc/4) or an external pin.
To eliminate false triggering it also has an optional input synchronizer for external
pin input.
This timer can be used in sleep mode and will generate a wakeup interrupt on
overflow.
Timer 1 is also read by the CCP module to capture an event time.
Note: Using this timer in sleep mode will use more current.
In addition it can be used to drive a low power watch crystal. This is something
that sounds good but I don't recommend you do it as watch crystals are extremely
difficult to drive correctly. You should only use it if you are going to make a pcb
and follow all the guidelines in making it noise free. I used a DS1307 in the Real
Time clock project which drives the crystal directly but even this is difficult to get
operating accurately.
Timer 2
This is an 8 bit timer with an 8 bit prescaler and an 8 bit postscaler. It takes its
input only from the internal oscillator (Fosc/4).
This timer is used for the timebase of a PWM when PWM is active and it can be
software selected by the SSP module as a baud clock.
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It also has a period register that allows easy control of the period. When timer 2
reaches the PR2 register value then it resets. This saves having to check the timer
value in software and then reset the timer and since it is done in hardware the
operation is much faster - so you can generate fast clocks with periods that are
multiples of the main clock.
USART
The USART is a useful module and saves having to code up a software version
so it saves valuable program memory. You can find more information on RS232
here and how to make it work. Look here for pin outs.
All you need to interface it to a PC serial port is a MAX232 chip (or equivalent).
Note: An equivalent MAX232 chip is the SP202ECP that has the same pinout as
the MAX232 but lets you use 100nF capacitors - so you don't need the large 1uF
caps.
Baud Rates
You have to be careful using the baud rates as they depend on the main clock in
use and normal oscillator values in general do not fit very well with 'real' baud
rates.
There is a table of baud rates in microchip data sheet DS33023A which indicates
the expected percentage error for a specific clock rate and in general the higher the
main clock the lower the error.
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You sometimes have to play around with the register settings to get a better fit
with your clock rate and the baud rate you want. An example is for an 8MHz
clock - if you use BRGH=1 and an 8MHz clock (see the 16F88 datasheet) you get
accurate baud rates up to 38.4kbaud. You have to force this to work e.g. in
mikroC the built in USART routines use BRGH=0 so at 8MHz the baud rate is
only accurate to 9.6kbaud.
If you want a super-accurate baud rate the best way is to use a clock crystal that
ends up giving you that baud rate i.e. work back through the baud rate equations to
find the crystal you need.
CCP
The Capture/Compare/PWM module has three modes of operation:
• Capture - Capture the time of an event.

• Compare - Generate an output when Timer 1 reaches a value.
• PWM - Pulse Width Modulation.
Capture
Capture mode is used to capture the value of Timer 1 when a signal at the CCP pin
goes high (or low depending on how the CCP is set up). The CCP can accurately
capture the arrival time of a signal at the CCP pin so it can be used for pulse time
measurement.
Compare
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Compare mode is used to generate an output when Timer 1 reaches a value you
put into CCPR1. One special event trigger mode lets you start the ADC when the
compare mode triggers.
PWM
PWM gives you one Pulse Width Modulation output with 10 bit resolution and
with no software overhead - once started it operates all by itself unless you want to
change the duty cycle.
It uses Timer 2 to define its operation using Timer 2 period register to define the
frequency of the PWM.
Note: The duty cycle is not a percentage it is the number of periods of the PWM
clock that the output is high!
SSP
The Synchronous Serial Port lets you communicate with devices that use either the
SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) or I2C (Inter IC communication) protocols. Note
that for full Master mode I2C operation you need to choose a PIC device that has
the MSSP device (Master Synchronous Serial Port).
SPI and I2C are shared so you can only use one at a time (or you could use the I2C
bit banged routines in the Real Time Clock project to have both at the same time).
You can find a project that uses I2C here and you can find more information on
I2C here.
Comparator and comparator voltage reference

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The comparator is module that has two analogue comparators which can be set up
in one of 8 different ways. Either digital or analogue inputs can be compared to
reference voltages.
In one mode an internally generated voltage reference is used as an input to both

comparators and in the same mode multiplexing lets you monitor up to four
different input pins.
You can even send the output of the comparator to a pin so that it is used
independently from the microcontroller e.g. in a circuit where you need a
comparator you don't need an extra chip!
The analogue level must be between Vdd and Vss as protection diodes won't allow
anything else.
The module will generate an interrupt if the comparator output changes.
You can use it in sleep mode and the interrupt will wake it up.
The source impedance of the analogue signal must be smaller than 10k.
ADC
The single 10 bit Analogue to Digital Converter can have up to 8 inputs for a
device multiplexed from input pins.
The ADC can be used during sleep but you have to use the RC clock mode. One
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benefit of this is that there will be no digital switching noise so you will get better
conversion accuracy.
For the 16F877A you can not just choose to use an analogue input if you feel the
need as there are only a specific and limited number of ways that the analogue
input pins can be enabled. It is best to start with AN0 and add more as necessary -
see the datasheet for which analogue inputs can be enabled e.g. if you started a
design using only AN5 you would find that you may have to enable a few more
analogue inputs as well!
The 16F675 can measure 4 analogue input pins!
PSP
The Parallel Slave Port lets you to connect the PIC microcontroller directly into a
microprocessor system. It provides an 8 bit read/write data bus and RD (read) WR
(write) and CS (chip select) inputs - all active low.
This will let you add a PIC microcontroller to a system so that the PIC
microcontroller can be treated as a memory mapped peripheral. It will let the
microcontroller behave just as though it was another microprocessor building
block e.g. some memory or ram but in this case you have full control over exactly
what the building block is i.e. you can re-program the PIC microcontroller to do
just about anything.
This provides an easy route to adding a PIC microcontroller to an 8 bit system that
already exists.
LCD
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The LCD interface lets you directly interface to an LCD saving you having to use
an LCD module such as the HD44780. I have not used this feature as it is another
commercial requirement where removing a chip (HD44780) saves money in a
production run. I think it is capable of driving a graphic LCD.
Special Features
In Circuit Serial click here (jumps to ICSP

ICSP
Programming section).
This is a software error
WDT Watch dog timer
protector.
This detects if the power
BOR Brown Out reset supply dips slightly and resets
the device if so.
This starts
POR Power on reset
microcontroller initialization.
PWRT PoWeR up Time A time delay to let Vdd rise.
Wait for 1024 cycles after
OST Oscillator start up timer
PWRT.
PIC microcontroller sleep
SLEEP Enter low power mode.
mode
WDT
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If your software goes haywire then this timer resets the processor. To stop the
reset the well behaved software must periodically issue the CLRWDT instruction
to stop a resert. The WDT runs using its own oscillator. It runs during sleep and
shares Timer 0 prescaler.
POR
Power On Reset starts PIC microcontroller initialization when it detects a rising

edge on MCLR.
PWRT
If you enable this then 72ms after a POR the PIC microcontroller is started.
OST
Oscillator Startup Timer delays for 1024 oscillator cycles after PWRT (if PWRT is
enabled) ensuring that the oscillator has started and is stable. It is automatic and
only used for crystal oscillator modes and is active after POR or wake from sleep.
SLEEP
Sleep mode (or low power consumption mode) is entered by executing the
'SLEEP' command. The device can wake from sleep caused by an external reset,
Watch Dog Timer timeout, INT pin RB port change or peripheral interrupt.
Project device overview
This site mainly uses three PIC devices out of the hundreds of different chips that
microchip produces. This does not sound like a lot but you can use the devices in
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almost any project and they have so many built in peripherals that you can make
hundreds of projects with them.
The other microchip devices are all useful in different situations - perhaps they
have more memory or different peripherals - this is useful if you want to tailor
your designs to the system you build - but probably more useful in a commercial
environment where every cent counts in a production run.
All three devices are extremely powerful and the main difference is that they have
different numbers of pins and memory size.
Note: There are differences in using the devices i.e. there are some registers that
are different but in the generally you can interchange them - this is made easier
using a high level language.
The devices used in this site are:
PIC PIC PIC

microcontroller microcontroller microcontroller
Device No. Pins Flash memory
WORDS
12F675 8 1k
16F88 18 4k
16F877A 40 8k
Note : When looking at the microchip site the memory size is kwords - ignore
kbytes - you need the kword size as this is what each instruction occupies - the
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kbyte size is for comparison to other types of micros (probably). But the
microcontroller data bus is 8 bits wide so it is an 8 bit microcontroller (different
program memory and data memory due to using Harvard architecture).
(Note: that all of them have the letter F in - this means it is a Flash re-
programmable part - don't go and buy a part with O in as its OTP - programmable
only once! - only do that if you are really really sure it's the final design).
PIC Microcontroller Flash Memory size
You may think that 1k or even 8k is so tiny that it won't be useful but each PIC
microcontroller uses RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) which simply
means that it has a cleverly arranged instruction set that only has a few
instructions. The mid range parts have 35 instructions.
If you use the high level language as recommended in this site then you won't need
to be too aware of the instruction set it just means you can do a lot with a small
amount of memory. Most of the projects on this site although they are fully
working projects fit within 2k words!
Note: If you need more memory you can always move to the 18F series of PIC
microcontrollers. Another option is to add an I2C serial eprom.
PIC microcontroller RAM and EEPROM size
The PIC microcontroller RAM size is also important as it stores all your variables
and intermediate data.
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Note: You can usually alter the program to use less RAM by choosing the right
variable sizes or changing how your program works
For example don't use floating point alter it to use a different variable type e.g.
you can use long integers with fixed point operation to avoid floating point.
PIC microcontroller EEROM : Electrically Erasable ROM is used to store data

that must be saved between power up and power down.
This area is readable and writable and has a much longer life than the main
program store i.e. it has been designed for more frequent use.
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PIC16F877A
The 40 pins make it easier to use the peripherals as the functions are spread out
over the pins. This makes it easier to decide what external devices to attach
without worrying too much if there enough pins to do the job.
One of the main advantages is that each pin is only shared between two or three
functions so its easier to decide what the pin function (other devices have up to 5
functions for a pin).
Note: A disadvantage of the device is that it has no internal oscillator so you will
need an external crystal of other clock source.
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PIC16F877A pinout
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PIC16F877A
As we can see the PIC16F877A is rich in peripherals so you can use it for many
different projects.
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40 MHZ FREQUENCY COUNTER USING PIC
MICROCONTROLLER
This PIC frequency counter project uses an LCD to display the frequency and PIC
timer 1 (TMR1) to measure the input signal.
It uses TMR1 in 16 bit counter mode to count the input signal edges and overflows
of the counter are accumulated to give the total count in multiples of 65536.
Adding the current value of the counter at the end gives the total count.
Since the measurement time is 1 second the final count is actually the frequency of
the input signal.
Using the 1 second measurement time also gives a frequency resolution of 1 Hz.
Specification
Min frequency 1Hz
Max frequency ~50MHz (limited by input pin characteristics).
Input signal level TTL
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PIC frequency counter schematic using LCD and TMR1.
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Pic frequency counter Hardware
The hardware is simple and the main blocks are shown in the diagram below.
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The LCD is used in 4 bit mode interface so you only need 4 data lines and three
control lines and it then fits into a single 8 bit port.
The crystal oscillator is simply a crystal and two capacitors connected to the PIC
oscillator port at OSC1 and OSC2. The capacitors can both be fixed at the same
value unless you want to tune it using a frequency reference. If you don't have an
accurate reference then use fixed capacitors.
The PIC micro can be any type that has a Timer 1 hardware and and has enough
memory to hold the program.
The LED is toggled at the end of every gate time to indicate that the processor is
alive - so if there is no input signal you can tell that the software is working.
You can program the PIC in circuit through the ICSP connector.
Project files for the PIC frequency counter
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Compiler project files
Frequency_counter_4MHz_LCD_TMR1.ppc
C Source files.
Frequency_counter_4MHz_7seg_tmr1.c
bcd.c
delay.c
seven_segment.c
gate.c
Header files.
def.h
bit.h
bcd.h
delay.h
seven_segment.h
gate.h
Output files
Frequency_counter_4MHz_LCD_TMR1.hex
Brief description
• frequency_counter...c : contains the code start point (in routine 'main') and
the 1 second delay (measurement time) - gate_loop.
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• bcd.c : contains machine code to convert a long to a bcd.
• delay.c : contains code to create fixed delay times.
• bit.h : contains macros for bit manipulation.
All other header files contain prototypes.
PIC frequency counter code operation.
The code uses the built in LCD driver routines which are automatically included
by the compiler. Note automatic include is unusual but it seems to work well in
mikroC.
Interrupts are not used only the flags that can be polled (timer overflow) are
activated.
frequency_counter_4MHz_LCD_TMR1.c
This file contains the port initialization, gate loop and main routine.
After initialization the code enters an endless loop where it continuously performs
a measurement and display operation. After an accurate 1 second delay the counter
result is processed and displayed on the LCD.
The gate loop is tuned to just below a millisecond so that the caller (in main) can
adjust the exact delay taking account of any delays caused by calling the gate loop
routine itself.
Note that the timer overflow is polled within the gate loop - the extra statements in
the else part of the if statement allow constant execution time whether the
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condition was true or false. This allows the loop time to be accurately calculated
since it always has the same execution time.
delay.c
Delay routines were created using machine code so that they have a fixed
execution time i.e. they do not change as the compiler re-optimizes the code. They
are also fixed in memory location to avoid bank change problems.
bcd.c
This routine was created in machine code to save space on the smaller chips and it
also results in faster code than using the built in routines for long multiply and
divide.
It uses the Add 3 method to convert the unsigned long into an ASCII value that
can be displayed on the LCD.
gate.c
This file contains the gate loop time measurement routines - the loop time is tuned
to 999us so that the caller can calibrate the 1 second delay time (accounting for
compiler optimisation and return from call instructions).
The gate_loop routine calls the constant time seven segment display update and
also checks (in constant time) the timer 1 overflow counter.
sevensegment.c
This file has the 8 digit seven segment display driver.
The first output from the 4017 is not connected so this acts as the reset state. At
every call the next digit is output on port D and the 4017 is advanced one bit by
strobing the clock. In this way after each call the next digit is displayed.
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All the routines here are made into constant time routines so that the gate loop (the
calling routine) can make an accurate 1 second time measurement.
bit.h
This contains macros for bit manipulation which should be compiler independent.
def.h
Contains a control to let the simulator update variables where needed.
PROGRAM
Delay.c
#include "def.h"
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// global as easier to manage ?!? i.e. its name
unsigned short CounterA absolute 0x53;
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
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void delay_10_us(void) org 10 {
asm {
CLRW
CLRW
CLRW
CLRW
CLRW
CLRW
}
}
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
CounterA = 29; // must init in C so comiler knows these vars are used.
asm {
//;PIC Time Delay = 0.0000920 s with Osc = 4 MHz

// movlw D'29'
movwf CounterA
loop100us: // NB make this label different from all other asm labels!
decfsz CounterA,1
goto loop100us
// retlw
}
// tune routine to get correct delay.
asm {
CLRW
35 | P a g e
CLRW
CLRW
CLRW
CLRW
}
}
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
CounterA = 164; // must init in C so comiler knows these vars are used.
asm {
// ;PIC Time Delay = 0.0004970 s with Osc = 4 MHz

// movlw D'164'
movwf CounterA
loop500us: // NB make this label different from all other asm labels!
decfsz CounterA,1
goto loop500us
// retlw
}
}
Bcd.c
#include "def.h"
// BCD digit store
static char DIG absolute 0x30; // was array = faster if use assembler
static char DIG1 absolute 0x31; // was array = faster if use assembler
36 | P a g e
// Loop counters
static unsigned short BITCNT absolute 0x3A; // bit counter.
static unsigned short DIGCNT absolute 0x3B; // digit counter.
// Binary number store
static unsigned short BIN3 absolute 0x2C;
static unsigned short BIN2 absolute 0x2E;
static unsigned short BIN1 absolute 0x2D;
static unsigned short BIN0 absolute 0x2F;
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// Convert unsigned long 32bit (4byte) to unpacked BCD.
//
// Using serial hardware algorithm from application note xapp029.
//
// Identical to ulong2bcd except for BITCNT=16 changed from BITCNT=32
//
void ulong2bcd_p1(unsigned long num) { // mod to 32 bits
unsigned short *p;
p = (unsigned short) &num;
// assignments made so assembler can see the C variables
37 | P a g e
bin0 = *(p++); bin1 = *(p++);
bin2 = *(p++); bin3 = *(p++);
dig = 0; dig1 = 0; dig2 = 0;
dig3 = 0; dig4 = 0; dig5 = 0;
dig6 = 0; dig7 = 0; dig8 = 0; dig9 = 0;
DIGCNT = 0; // keep these just before asm to intialise asm
BITCNT = 4;
// my asm
asm {
BITLOOP:
movlw 10 // ; ten digits
movwf bcd_DIGCNT
movlw bcd_DIG // ; location of output Digit
movwf FSR // ; set indirection reg to point at op digit.
// Get the next bit
rlf bcd_BIN0,F
rlf bcd_BIN1,F
rlf bcd_BIN2,F
rlf bcd_BIN3,F // ; MSBit shifted into the carry flag here
PROCESSDIGITSLOOP:
rlf INDF,F // Rotate carry into current digit
movlw -10 // Get ready to compare to 10 decimal
addwf INDF,W // W = -10 + (dig[n] << 1)
btfsc STATUS,C // should be >=5 but rotated >=10 (c=1 if dig >=5).
addlw 6 // greater than equal to 10 (5) so add 6 (3)
addlw 10 // get rid of comparison test
movwf INDF // store so can test bit4.
38 | P a g e
BCF STATUS,C
btfsc INDF,4 // bit 4 is the overflow (effectively DC)
BSF STATUS,C // make C equal to this bit C=dig(bit4)
andlw 0x0f // keep upper nibble zero
movwf INDF // store the processed digit.
INCF FSR,F // next digit
decfsz bcd_DIGCNT,F
goto PROCESSDIGITSLOOP
decfsz bcd_BITCNT,F
goto BITLOOP
} // end asm
} // end long to bcd
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// ulong2bcd_p2
//
// Call this after calling ulong2bcd_p1 to complete the ulong to bcd
// conversion.
//
// Using these two routines lets you do work between bcd processing
// as the state of the bcd conversion is preserved after ulong2bcd_p1.
//
void ulong2bcd_process(void) {
BITCNT = 4;
asm {
call BITLOOP
}
39 | P a g e
}
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// Convert unsigned long 32bit (4byte) to unpacked BCD.
//
void ulong2bcd(unsigned long num) {
unsigned short i;
ulong2bcd_p1(num);
for (i=0;i<7;i++) {
ulong2bcd_process(void); // conversion 2nd part.
}
}
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
void packedBCDToStr(unsigned short packedBCD,unsigned short len, char *op) {
unsigned short *p=packedBCD, val, i;
for (i=0;i<len;i++) {
val = (*p >> 4) + '0';
*(op++) = val;
val = (*p & 0x0f) + '0';
*(op++) = val;
p++;
}
}
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
void unpackedBCDtoStr(unsigned short *bcd, unsigned short c, char *op) {
unsigned short i;
40 | P a g e
for(i=0;i<c;i++) {
*(op++) = (*(bcd++)) + '0';
}
*op=0; // terminate the string
}
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Reverse a string
// Argunents:
// requires a null terminated string.
//
void strrev(char *s) {
unsigned short i,len;
char *e, *p, st;
len = strlen(s);
e = s+len-1;
for ( i=0; i<(len>>1); i++) { // >>1 = len/2
st = *e; // temporary store.
*e=*s;
*s = st; // swapped.
e--;
s++;
}
}
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// mikroC long 4 bytes : 0 .. 4294967295
//
// This needs to take constant time - so does not break from loop
41 | P a g e
// always completes each digit.
//
void process_ulong2str(char *str) {
char *s=str;
unsigned short stop=0;
// use s as mikroC does not initialise str
unpackedBCDtoStr(&DIG, 10, str); // this null terminates.
// Leading digit blanking (to space if value is ascii zero)
strrev(str);
s = str;
while (*s) {
if (*s!='0') { stop=1; }
if (!stop) { // replace leading zeros with spaces.
if (*s=='0') {*s=' '; }
}
s++;
}
}
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// mikroC long 4 bytes : 0 .. 4294967295
void ulong2str(long ip, char *str) {
char *s=str;
ulong2bcd(ip);
process_ulong2str(str);
}
//#define TEST_BCD 1
#ifdef TEST_BCD
42 | P a g e
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
void main(void) {
char pmain;
unsigned short c = 89;
long lng = 6781736L;
char opm[12];
lng = 0xffffffff; // 4294967295
ulong2str(lng,opm);
ulong2bcd(123456UL);
ulong2bcd( (unsigned long) c);
ulong2bcd( c );
ulong2bcd( lng );
lng = 65535 << 8; // 24 bit
ulong2bcd( lng);
lng = 65536 << 8; // 32 bit = 16777216
ulong2bcd( lng );
lng = 65536 << 10; // 32 bit = 67108864
ulong2bcd( lng );
unpackedBCDtoStr(dec,10,opm);
strrev(opm);
strrev(opm);
ulong2bcd( 123);
strrev(opm);
strrev(opm);
ulong2bcd( 98);
43 | P a g e
strrev(opm);
strrev(opm);
lng = 0xffffffff; // 4294967295
ulong2str(lng,opm);
pmain = (char *)dec;
pmain++;
}
#endif
Frequency_counter_4MHz_LCD_TMR1.c
#include "bit.h"
#include "delay.h"
#include "gate.h"
#include "bcd.h"
#include "sevensegment.h"
//#include "usart_support.h"
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Globals
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// globals for time critical code - to force compiler to keep.
volatile unsigned short sdmy=0; // for code critical section sdmy must not be optimised out
volatile unsigned int udmy=0; // for code critical section sdmy must not be optimised out
volatile unsigned int st_TMR1O; // updated in gate.c
// controls on this code comment out the following to stop using LCD
//#define USE_MY_LCD
//#define USE_LCD
//#define USE_USART
44 | P a g e
// This macro saves typing a lot of code.
#define REFRESH_7SEG display_str_8seg7(&op[2],dpIdx)
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
void init_ports(void) {
ADCON1 = 0x06; // all digital outputs
PORTA = 0;
TRISA = 0xFF; // inputs
PORTB = 0;
TRISB = 0; // out
PORTC = 0x01; // b0 = 1 for 7seg
TRISC = 0x81; // B7 = i/p for USART, RC0 T1CKI-Timer1 i/p.
PORTD = 0;
TRISD = 0; // out
PORTE = 0;
TRISE = 0; // out
}
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Start here
//
void main() org 440 {
char op[12] ; // Display string for seven segment display
unsigned short dpIdx=20 ; // Decimal point index into seven segment.
unsigned int i ; // loop counter
unsigned short st_TMR1L ; // Store Timer 1 low byte (after calced).
unsigned short st_TMR1H ; // store Timer 1 high byte time.
unsigned short refresh ; // refresh display interval count (during calcs).
unsigned long df = 0 ; // dispFlay frequency value to use.
45 | P a g e
unsigned short blinkc=0 ; // blink counter
#ifdef USE_LCD
char lcdop[4];
#endif
#ifdef USE_MY_LCD
char lcdop[4];
#endif
init_ports();
init_str_8seg7();
#ifdef USE_USART
USART_Init(2400);
#endif // USE_USART
// Timer 1
// prescale = 0, oscillator off, timer on, external clock, unsynchronized.
T1CON = (1<<TMR1ON) | (1<<TMR1CS) | (1<<T1SYNC);
// Enable Timer 1 interrupt flag so that the flag is updated
// interrupt not used just its output.
PIE1 = (1<<TMR1IE) ; // TMR1 overflow flag is enabled and can be polled.
// Note: actual interrupts not enabled.
#ifdef USE_MY_LCD
_LCD_init();
_LCD_Cmd(LCD_CLEAR);
_LCD_Cmd(LCD_CURSOR_OFF);
#endif
#ifdef USE_LCD
LCD_Config(&PORTB,2,1,0,7,6,5,4); // RS,E,W,D7..4
LCD_Cmd(LCD_CLEAR);
46 | P a g e
LCD_Cmd(LCD_CURSOR_OFF);
#endif
for(;;) {
// blink the led on port C.
if (blinkc>0) { // processor alive indicator
setBit(PORTC,2);
} else {
resBit(PORTC,2);
}
blinkc=~blinkc;
////////////////////////////
// Calculate frequency from timer 1
//
if (!(st_TMR1L==0 && st_TMR1H==0 && st_TMR1O==0) ) {
// Fails in 5.0.0.3
// df =( ((unsigned long) st_TMR1L) )+\
// ( ((unsigned long) st_TMR1H)<<8 )+\
// ( ((unsigned long) st_TMR1O)<16);
df = (unsigned long) st_TMR1L + (unsigned long) st_TMR1H * 256 + 65536 * (unsigned
long) st_TMR1O;
} else {
df = 0;
}
REFRESH_7SEG;
// convert long to the display string.
ulong2bcd_p1(df); // conversion 1st part.
REFRESH_7SEG;
47 | P a g e
for (i=0;i<7;i++) {
ulong2bcd_process(void); // conversion 2nd part.
REFRESH_7SEG;
}
process_ulong2str(op);
REFRESH_7SEG;
// Initialize ready for next gate time
st_TMR1L = 0;
st_TMR1H = 0;
st_TMR1O = 0;
//////////////////////////
// GATE and REFRESH
//
// TUNE THIS GATE TIME to 1 second.
//
// 1. Tune the gate_loop first in gate.c
// 2. Then tune here (the overall gate time).
//
// 1.Break on
// gate_loop(1000,op);
// 2. reset the stop watch
// 3. step through until landing on statement:
// TMR1L_st = TMR1L;
//
// Check simluation stopwatch result is 1 second.
//
TMR1H = 0; // clear timer1 high count - the timer1 hardware.
48 | P a g e
TMR1L = 0; // clear timer1 low count - the timer1 hardware.
PIR1 &= ~(1<<TMR1IF); ; // clear Timer1 overflow bit.
//////////////////////////
// Start of gate time
//
gate_loop(1000,op); // op is the seven segment display string
delay_500_us();
delay_100_us();
delay_100_us();
delay_10_us();
delay_10_us();
delay_10_us();
asm {
CLRW
CLRW
CLRW
CLRW
CLRW
}
st_TMR1L = TMR1L; // get counter values before it updates
st_TMR1H = TMR1H;
/// End of gate time
////////////////////
// test for overflow after tune delay
if ( PIR1 & (1<<TMR1IF) ) {
PIR1 &= ~(1<<TMR1IF); // clear the bit.
st_TMR1O += 1; // increase high count.
49 | P a g e
}
#ifdef USE_MY_LCD
// lots of refresh needed to keep approx 1ms 7seg refresh rate
_LCD_Print(2,1,"FREQ:"); REFRESH_7SEG;
_LCD_Print(2,6,op); REFRESH_7SEG;
_LCD_Print(1,1,"H"); REFRESH_7SEG;
ByteToStr(st_TMR1H,lcdop); REFRESH_7SEG;
_LCD_Print(1,2, lcdop); REFRESH_7SEG;
_LCD_Print(1,9,"L"); REFRESH_7SEG;
ByteToStr(st_TMR1L,lcdop); REFRESH_7SEG;
_LCD_Print(1, 10, lcdop); REFRESH_7SEG;
#endif
#ifdef USE_LCD
// lots of refresh needed to keep approx 1ms 7seg refresh rate
LCD_Out(2,1,"FREQ:"); REFRESH_7SEG;
LCD_Out(2,6,op); REFRESH_7SEG;
LCD_Out(1,1,"H"); REFRESH_7SEG;
ByteToStr(st_TMR1H,lcdop); REFRESH_7SEG;
LCD_Out(1,2, lcdop); REFRESH_7SEG;
LCD_Out(1,9,"L"); REFRESH_7SEG;
ByteToStr(st_TMR1L,lcdop); REFRESH_7SEG;
LCD_Out(1, 10, lcdop); REFRESH_7SEG;
#endif
#ifdef USE_USART
// test shift left in 5.0.0.3
// st_TMR1O=5;
// st_TMR1H=20;
50 | P a g e
// df = 70 + 21 * 256 + 65536 * st_TMR1O; // OK
// df = 70 + 21 * 256 + st_TMR1O<<16; // fails
// USART_Print("LONG:");
// LongToStr(df,bcd_ascii); // check that df is accurate
// USART_Println(bcd_ascii);
USART_Print("FREQ:");
USART_Println(op);
USART_Print("H:");
ByteToStr(st_TMR1H,op);
USART_Print(op);
USART_Print(" L:");
ByteToStr(st_TMR1L,op);
USART_Print(op);
USART_Print(" O:");
WordToStr(st_TMR1O,op);
USART_Println(op);
#endif // USE_USART
}
}
Frequency_counter_4MHz_LCD_TMR1.ppc
[DeviceName]
Value=P16F877A
[DeviceClock]
Value=4
[MainUnit]
Value=Frequency-counter-4MHz-7seg-TMR1.c
[DeviceFlags]
Count=3
Value0=_LVP_OFF = $3F7F
Value1=_WDT_OFF = $3FFB
Value2=_HS_OSC = $3FFE
[ProjectFiles]
51 | P a g e
Count=6
Value0=sevensegment.c
Value1=bcd.c
Value2=delay.c
Value3=Frequency-counter-4MHz-7seg-TMR1.c
Value4=gate.c
Value5=usart_support.c
Value6=lcd_keypad.c
[SearchPath]
Count=7
Value0=D:\Program Files\Mikroelektronika\mikroC\Defs\
Value1=D:\Program Files\Mikroelektronika\mikroC\Uses\p16\
Value2=D:\Program
Files\Mikroelektronika\mikroC\Examples\new\P16F877A\Frequency_counter_4MHz_7seg_TM
R1\
Value3=D:\Program Files\Mikroelektronika\mikroC\Examples\new\P16F877A\Frequency-
counter-4MHz-7seg-TMR1\
Value4=C:\Program Files\Mikroelektronika\mikroC\2.100\Examples\P16F877A\LCD\
Value5=C:\Program Files\Mikroelektronika\mikroC\2.100\Defs\
Value6=C:\Program Files\Mikroelektronika\mikroC\2.100\Uses\p16\
[EEPROMinfo]
isused=0
[ObjLibFiles]
Count=0
[IncludePath]
Count=0
CONCLUSION
52 | P a g e
53 | P a g e

Frequency Counter Using Pic Micro Controller

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Frequency Counter Using Pic Micro Controller

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FREQUENCY COUNTER USING PIC MICROCONTROLLER

It uses the simpler method of direct frequency measurement which is easy to do

The microcontroller used is PIC16F877A.

A more complex method is reciprocal counting.

Frequency is defined as (Number of events) / (time in seconds) and measured in

Making a frequency counter for frequencies up to 65.536kHz is easy as the

Note: Using a 1 second measurement period results in the frequency counter

Frequency counter accuracy

Maximum possible error 4MHz + (4MHz x 50 x 1e-6) = 4.0002e6

So the crystal could oscillate at any frequency between 4000200Hz and

Multiply by 1e6 to give a 1 second period gives the delay time

Min delay time : 1e6/(1.00005e6) 0.99995s or (1s - 1s x 50ppm) seconds.

Commonly available crystals have a ppm specification of ±30ppm to ±50ppm

* Capacitance meter - analogue comparator oscillator.

* Event timer - using internal timers.

And all of these work from within an 8 pin DIL package!

In fact a PIC microcontroller is an amazingly powerful fully featured processor

Input / Output - I/O

PIC microcontroller PIC microcontroller

CCP Capture/Compare/PWM module.

Note:these are some of the main features

Devices used in projects on this site can be re-programmed up to 100,000 times

Timer 1 is also read by the CCP module to capture an event time.

The Capture/Compare/PWM module has three modes of operation:

• Capture - Capture the time of an event.

Comparator and comparator voltage reference

In one mode an internally generated voltage reference is used as an input to both

The module will generate an interrupt if the comparator output changes.

The 16F675 can measure 4 analogue input pins!

In Circuit Serial click here (jumps to ICSP

Power On Reset starts PIC microcontroller initialization when it detects a rising

Project device overview

The devices used in this site are:

PIC PIC PIC

PIC Microcontroller Flash Memory size

PIC microcontroller RAM and EEPROM size

PIC microcontroller EEROM : Electrically Erasable ROM is used to store data

Min frequency 1Hz

Max frequency ~50MHz (limited by input pin characteristics).

Input signal level TTL

Pic frequency counter Hardware

Project files for the PIC frequency counter

All other header files contain prototypes.

PIC frequency counter code operation.

This file has the 8 digit seven segment display driver.

Contains a control to let the simulator update variables where needed.

//;PIC Time Delay = 0.0000920 s with Osc = 4 MHz

// ;PIC Time Delay = 0.0004970 s with Osc = 4 MHz

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