Chapter 5 - MARV's Heartbeat: Oscillators and Timers

Flashcards created to help review key vocabulary related to oscillators and timers in microcontroller applications.

Oscillator

A circuit that produces a periodic, oscillating signal, often used as a clock source.

Clock source

The component that provides a timing signal for the operation of digital devices.

External RC oscillator

A low-cost oscillator using a resistor-capacitor combination for clock generation.

Low-power crystal oscillator

A crystal oscillator that operates at a low power level, commonly used for timing applications.

Timer

A register or register pair that counts on a regular clock to measure time intervals.

Period register

A register that defines the number of counts a timer must reach before triggering an event.

Pre-scaler

A divider that reduces the frequency of the input clock signal for timer applications.

Post-scaler

An adjustable counter that counts timer overflow pulses to extend the timer period.

Overflow pulse

A signal generated when a timer count exceeds its maximum value and resets.

Barkhausen criteria

Conditions necessary for sustained oscillations in an oscillator circuit.

RC oscillator

An oscillator circuit using a resistor and capacitor to generate a clock signal.

INTOSC

Internal RC oscillator in PIC18F45K22, offering multiple frequency options.

High-speed crystal oscillator

An oscillator capable of producing frequencies up to 64 MHz for rapid clocking.

Timer interrupt

A signal that occurs when a timer reaches a predetermined value, triggering an event.

Integrated circuit

A microelectronic device made up of many components in a single package.

FOSC

The frequency of the oscillator, which determines clock speed for the microcontroller.

TCY

Instruction cycle time, calculated as FOSC divided by 4 for the PIC18 series.