119
8272E–AVR–04/2013
ATmega164A/PA/324A/PA/644A/PA/1284/P
(TCNTn) is written to the Input Capture Register (ICRn). The Input Capture Flag (ICFn) is set at
the same system clock as the TCNTn value is copied into ICRn Register. If enabled (ICIEn = 1),
the Input Capture Flag generates an Input Capture interrupt. The ICFn Flag is automatically
cleared when the interrupt is executed. Alternatively the ICFn Flag can be cleared by software
by writing a logical one to its I/O bit location.
Reading the 16-bit value in the Input Capture Register (ICRn) is done by first reading the low
byte (ICRnL) and then the high byte (ICRnH). When the low byte is read the high byte is copied
into the high byte temporary register (TEMP). When the CPU reads the ICRnH I/O location it will
access the TEMP Register.
The ICRn Register can only be written when using a Waveform Generation mode that utilizes
the ICRn Register for defining the counter’s TOP value. In these cases the Waveform Genera-
tion mode (WGMn3:0) bits must be set before the TOP value can be written to the ICRn
Register. When writing the ICRn Register the high byte must be written to the ICRnH I/O location
before the low byte is written to ICRnL.
16.7.1
Input Capture Trigger Source
The main trigger source for the Input Capture unit is the Input Capture pin (ICPn).
Timer/Counter1 can alternatively use the Analog Comparator output as trigger source for the
Input Capture unit. The Analog Comparator is selected as trigger source by setting the Analog
Comparator Input Capture (ACIC) bit in the Analog Comparator Control and Status Register
(ACSR). Be aware that changing trigger source can trigger a capture. The Input Capture Flag
must therefore be cleared after the change.
Both the Input Capture pin (ICPn) and the Analog Comparator output (ACO) inputs are sampled
identical. However, when the noise canceler is enabled, additional logic is inserted before the
edge detector, which increases the delay by four system clock cycles. Note that the input of the
noise canceler and edge detector is always enabled unless the Timer/Counter is set in a Wave-
form Generation mode that uses ICRn to define TOP.
An Input Capture can be triggered by software by controlling the port of the ICPn pin.
16.7.2
Noise Canceler
The noise canceler improves noise immunity by using a simple digital filtering scheme. The
noise canceler input is monitored over four samples, and all four must be equal for changing the
output that in turn is used by the edge detector.
The noise canceler is enabled by setting the Input Capture Noise Canceler (ICNCn) bit in
Timer/Counter Control Register B (TCCRnB). When enabled the noise canceler introduces addi-
tional four system clock cycles of delay from a change applied to the input, to the update of the
ICRn Register. The noise canceler uses the system clock and is therefore not affected by the
prescaler.
16.7.3
Using the Input Capture unit
The main challenge when using the Input Capture unit is to assign enough processor capacity
for handling the incoming events. The time between two events is critical. If the processor has