AVR305HalfDuplexCompactSoftwareUART-Atmel.PDFVIP

AVR305: Half Duplex Compact Software UART Features 8-bit • 32 Words of Code, Only Microcontrollers • Handles Baud Rates of up to 38.4 kbps with a 1 MHz XTAL • Runs on Any AVR Device • Only Two Port Pins Required • Does Not Use Any Timer Application Note 1 Introduction In many applications utilizing serial communication, the software handling communication does not have to be performed as a background task. This application note describes how to implement polled software UART capable of handling speeds up to 614,400 bps on an AT90S1200. This implementation is intended for applications where small code is preferred. All bit delays are software delays, so no timer is required. The controller cannot perform any other tasks while receiving or transmitting, but when the operation is complete, the controller is free to continue program execution. Rev. 0952C-AVR-0905 2 Theory of Operation In asynchronous serial communication, no clock information is transferred. The data is transferred serially, one bit at a time. In Idle state, the line is held at logical “1”. When data is to be transferred, the first bit is a so-called start bit, often given the symbol S. The start bit is a “0”, causing a “1” to “0” transition at the line. This can be detected by the receiver, signaling