Debouncing button or switch inputs on microcontrollers can be a challenging problem for those first starting to program these devices. Part of the reason for this difficulty is that real-world buttons ...

What’s the biggest difference between writing code for your big computer and a microcontroller? OK, the memory and limited resources, sure. But we were thinking more about the need to directly ...

Edge-triggered interrupts are useful in microcontroller (MCU) applications for processing asynchronous events like switch closures, level transitions, and pulses. However, low-cost MCUs offer limited ...

In the interrupt method, the device that needs the microcontroller’s service notifies it by sending an interrupt signal. The microcontroller stops whatever task it is doing whenever it receives an ...

Interrupts are a major feature of most embedded microcontrollers and effective real time response to interrupts is vital in low power systems that often rely on a ‘run fast then stop’ approach to ...

The 8051-compatible microcontrollers are equipped with up to two inputs that may be used as general-purpose interrupts. A simple way to increase the number of interrupt inputs is shown in the figure.

Designers of microcontroller-based products that require a keypad for user data entry can select from dedicating an input line for each key, continuously polling the keypad's x and y lines, or ...

As portable systems become increasingly power-conscious, the need for smart power management becomes equally important. Besides the main processor, an auxiliary Microcontroller Unit (MCU) often ...