PIC12CE5XX
5.4 I/O Programming Considerations
5.4.1 BI-DIRECTIONAL I/O PORTS
Some instructions operate internally as read followed
by write operations. The BCF and BSF instructions, for
example, read the entire port into the CPU, execute
the bit operation and re-write the result. Caution must
be used when these instructions are applied to a port
where one or more pins are used as input/outputs. For
example, a BSF operation on bit5 of GPIO will cause all
eight bits of GPIO to be read into the CPU, bit5 to be
set and the GPIO value to be written to the output
latches. If another bit of GPIO is used as a bi-
directional I/O pin (say bit0) and it is defined as an
input at this time, the input signal present on the pin
itself would be read into the CPU and rewritten to the
data latch of this particular pin, overwriting the
previous content. As long as the pin stays in the input
mode, no problem occurs. However, if bit0 is switched
into output mode later on, the content of the data latch
may now be unknown.
Example 5-1 shows the effect of two sequential read-
modify-write instructions (e.g., BCF, BSF, etc.) on an I/
O port.
A pin actively outputting a high or a low should not be
driven from external devices at the same time in order
to change the level on this pin (“wired-or”, “wired-and”).
The resulting high output currents may damage the
chip.
EXAMPLE 5-1: READ-MODIFY-WRITE
INSTRUCTIONS ON AN
I/O PORT
;Initial GPIO Settings
; GPIO<5:3> Inputs
; GPIO<2:0> Outputs
;
;
GPIO latch GPIO pins
;
---------- ----------
BCF GPIO, 5 ;--01 -ppp --11 pppp
BCF GPIO, 4 ;--10 -ppp --11 pppp
MOVLW 007h
;
TRIS GPIO
;--10 -ppp --11 pppp
;
;Note that the user may have expected the pin
;values to be --00 pppp. The 2nd BCF caused
;GP5 to be latched as the pin value (High).
5.4.2 SUCCESSIVE OPERATIONS ON I/O
PORTS
The actual write to an I/O port happens at the end of
an instruction cycle, whereas for reading, the data
must be valid at the beginning of the instruction cycle
(Figure 5-2). Therefore, care must be exercised if a
write followed by a read operation is carried out on the
same I/O port. The sequence of instructions should
allow the pin voltage to stabilize (load dependent)
before the next instruction, which causes that file to be
read into the CPU, is executed. Otherwise, the
previous state of that pin may be read into the CPU
rather than the new state. When in doubt, it is better to
separate these instructions with a NOP or another
instruction not accessing this I/O port.
FIGURE 5-2: SUCCESSIVE I/O OPERATION
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Instruction
fetched
PC
MOVWF GPIO
PC + 1
MOVF GPIO,W
PC + 2
NOP
PC + 3
NOP
GP5:GP0
Instruction
executed
Port pin
written here
Port pin
sampled here
MOVWF GPIO
(Write to
GPIO)
MOVF GPIO,W
(Read
GPIO)
NOP
This example shows a write to GPIO followed
by a read from GPIO.
Data setup time = (0.25 TCY – TPD)
where: TCY = instruction cycle.
TPD = propagation delay
Therefore, at higher clock frequencies, a
write followed by a read may be problematic.
DS40172A-page 20
Preliminary
© 1997 Microchip Technology Inc.