Intel 8255 PPI

PPI is abbreviation for Programmable Peripheral Interface. It is an I/O port chip used for
interfacing I/O devices with microprocessor. It is a very commonly used peripheral chip.
Knowledge of 8255 essential for students in the Microprocessors lab for interfacing
experiments.

8255 40 pin DIP

Vcc
Gnd

A7
A6

Port A

PA7-0

RD*

A5

WR*

A4

CS*

A3
D7-0

A2

A1
A0
Reset

NC
M/IO*

Port C
Control Port
Port B

PC7-4
PC3-0

PB7-0

There are 3 ports in 8255 from users point of view - Port A, Port B and Port C.
Port C is composed of two independent 4-bit ports : PC7-4 (PC Upper) and PC3-0 (PC
Lower)
Selection of Ports
A1
0
0
1
1

A0
0
1
0
1

Selected port
Port A
Port B
Port C
Control port

There is also a Control port from the Processor point of view. Its contents decides the
working of 8255. When CS (Chip select) is 0, 8255 is selected for communication by the
processor. The chip select circuit connected to the CS pin assigns addresses to the ports
of 8255.
For the chip select circuit shown, the chip is selected when A7=0, A6=1, A5=1, A4=1,
A3=1, A2=1, and M/IO*= 0. Port A, Port B, Port C and Control port will have the
addresses as 7CH, 7DH, 7EH, and 7FH respectively.

There are 3 modes of operation for the ports of 8255. Mode 0, Mode 1, and Mode 2.
Mode 0 Operation
It is Basic or Simple I/O. It does not use any handshake signals. It is used for interfacing
an i/p device or an o/p device. It is used when timing characteristics of I/O devices is well
known.
Mode 1 Operation
It uses handshake I/O. 3 lines are used for handshaking. It is used for interfacing an i/p
device or an o/p device. Mode 1 operation is used when timing characteristics of I/O
devices is not well known, or used when I/O devices supply or receive data at irregular
intervals.
Handshake signals of the port inform the processor that the data is available, data transfer
complete etc. More details about mode 1 operation is provided later.
Mode 2 Operation
It is bi-directional handshake I/O. Mode 2 operation uses 5 lines for handshaking. It is
used with an I/O device that receives data some times and sends data sometimes. Ex.
Hard disk drive. Mode 2 operation is useful when timing characteristics of I/O devices is
not well known, or when I/O devices supply or receive data at irregular intervals.
Port A can work in Mode 0, Mode 1, or Mode 2
Port B can work in Mode 0, or Mode 1
Port C can work in Mode 0 only, if at all
Port A, Port B and Port C can work in Mode 0
Port A and Port B can work in Mode 1
Only Port A can work in Mode 2
Where are the Handshake signals?
We have already listed all the 40 pins of 8255. Port C pins act as handshake signals,
when Port A and Port B are configured for other than Mode 0. Port A in Mode 2 and Port
B in Mode 1 is possible, as it needs only 5+3 = 8 handshake signals. After Reset of 8255,
Port A, Port B, and Port C are configured for Mode 0 operation as input ports.
PC2-0 are used as handshake signals by Port B when configured in Mode 1. This is
immaterial whether Port B is configured as input or output port.
PC5-3 are used as handshake signals by Port A when configured as input port in Mode 1.
PC7, 6, 3 are used as handshake signals by Port A when configured as output port in
Mode 1.
PC7-3 are used as handshake signals by Port A when configured in Mode 2.
There are 2 control words in 8255
Mode Definition (MD) Control word and
Port C Bit Set / Reset (PCBSR) Control Word

8255 Mode Definition Control word

Mode definition control word is used to configure the ports of 8255 as input or output in
Mode 0, Mode 1, or Mode 2.
Control port having Mode Definition (MD) control word
1

M2A

M1A

I/P A

Means Mode
Definition control
word

I/P CU

M1B

1 - PCU as input
0 - PCU as output
1 - PA as input
0 - PA as output

M2A M1A
0

Port A in Mode 0

Port A in Mode 1

0/1

Port A in Mode 2

I/P B

I/P CL

1 -PCL as input
0 -PCL as output
1 - PB as input
0 - PB as output
1 - PB in Mode 1
0 - PB in Mode 0

Ex. 1: Configure Port A as input in Mode 0, Port B as output in mode 0, Port C (Lower)
as output and Port C (Upper) as input ports.
Required MD control word:
1

MD control word

98H

PC Lower as output
PA in Mode 0

PB as output

PA as input

PB in Mode 0
PC Upper as input

Required program segment for the configuration:

MOV AL, 98H
OUT 7FH, AL

Ex. 2: Configure Port A as input in Mode 1, Port B as output in mode 1, Port C7-6 as
input ports. (PC5-0 are handshake lines, some are input lines and others are output. So
they are shown as X)
Required MD control word:
1

MD control

BCH or BDH

PC3-0 as Dont care

PA in Mode 1

PB as output

PA as input

PB in Mode 1
PC Upper (C7-6) as input

Required program segment for the configuration:

MOV AL, BCH
OUT 7FH, AL
Ex. 3:Configure Port A in Mode 2, Port B as output in mode 1. (PC7-3 are handshake
lines for Port A and PC2-0 are handshake signals for port B)
Required MD control word:
1

MD control

C4H / C5H..

PC3-0 as handshake
PA in Mode 2

PB as output Reqd. instrns.

PA bidirectional

PB in Mode 1 MOV AL, C4H

PC 7-4 as handshake OUT 7FH, AL

Required program segment for the configuration:

MOV AL, C4H
OUT 7FH, AL
8255 Port C Bit Set / Reset Control word
Port C Bit Set / Reset (PCBSR) control word is used for setting to 1 or resetting to 0 any
one selected bit of Port C. It is useful for enabling or disabling Port A or Port B interrupts
when they are in mode 1 or mode 2.

Control port having Port C Bit Set / Reset control word

0
PC bit set / reset
control word

Dont cares

SB2

SB1

SB0

S/R*

Select bit of PC to
be set / reset
0
0
:
:
1

0
0
:
:
1

0
1
:
:
1

1 - Set to 1
0 - Reset to 0
Bit 0 of Port C
Bit 1 of Port C

Bit 7 of Port C

Ex. 1: Set to 1 bit 4 of Port C

0
PC bit set / reset
control word

09H
Set to 1

Dont cares

Bit 4 of Port C

Required program segment for setting bit 4 of Port C:

MOV AL, 09H
OUT 7FH, AL
Ex. 2: Reset to 0 bit 6 of Port C
0

PC bit set / reset

control word

Dont cares

Bit 6 of Port C

0CH

Reset to 0

Required program segment for resetting bit 6 of Port C:

MOV AL, 09H
OUT 7FH, AL
PCBSR command word is used for enabling / disabling interrupts from Ports A and B
when they are configured for other than Mode 0.
PA interrupt is enabled if bit 4 of PC is set to 1, for input
PA interrupt is enabled if bit 6 of PC is set to 1, for output
PA interrupt is disabled if bit 4 of PC is reset to 0, for input
PA interrupt is disabled if bit 6 of PC is reset to 0, for output

PB interrupt is enabled if bit 2 of PC is set to 1, for input and output

PB interrupt is disabled if bit 2 of PC is reset to 0, for input and output
8255 Mode1 operation
Mode 1 operation can be done in 2 ways:
Handshake Interrupt driven I/O
Handshake Status Check I/O
Handshake Interrupt driven I/O
Interrupt is enabled for the port using PCBSR
Processor is interrupted whenever
- the input buffer is full (for i/p operation)
- the o/p buffer is empty (for o/p operation)

Handshake Interrupt input port

8255

For Port A as handshake interrupt input port:

INTA is PC3
STB*A is PC4
IBFA is PC5

Port B

PB7-0
STB*B
(PC2)

IBFB INT B
(PC1) (PC0)
Waveforms for Handshake Interrupt input port
STB*

IBF
INT
RD*
Data from
I/O dev.

When input device has data to send it checks if IBF (input buffer full) signal is 0. If 0, it
sends data on PB7-0 and activates STB* (Strobe) signal. STB* is active low. When STB*
goes high, the data enters the port and IBF gets activated. If the Port interrupt is enabled,
INT is activated. This interrupts the processor. Processor reads the port during the ISS.
Then IBF and INT get deactivated.
Handshake interrupt output port
For Port A as handshake interrupt output port:
INTA is PC3
ACK*A is PC6
OBF*A is PC7
8255

Port B

OBF*B INT B
(PC1) (PC0)
Waveforms for Handshake interrupt output port

WR*

OBF*

INT

ACK*

Data sent out

on port pins

PB7-0

When output device wants to receive data it checks if OBF* (output buffer full) signal is
0. If 0, it receives data on PB7-0 and activates ACK* (Acknowledge) signal. ACK* is
active low. When ACK* goes high, the data goes out of the port and OBF* is set to 1. If
the Port interrupt is enabled, INT is activated. This interrupts the processor. Processor
sends another byte to the port during the ISS. Then OBF* and INT are reset to 0.
Handshake Status Check I/O
For this operation, interrupt is disabled for the port using PCBSR control word. Even if
new data is entered into input buffer by I/O device INT output is not going to be activated
for input operation. Then, how processor knows that the input buffer has new data?
Similarly, even if I/O device has emptied the output buffer, INT output is not going to be
activated for output operation. Then, how the processor knows that the output buffer is
empty?
This is solved by the processor reading the status of the port for this purpose.
PC provides status information of PA and PB when they are not in Mode 0

PC7
OBF*

PC6
INTE

PC5
IBF

PC4 PC3
INTE INT

PC2 PC1
PC0
INTE IBF/OBF* INT

PA status in Mode 1 PA status in mode1 PB status in Mode 1

output (along with INT)
input
Input or Output

PA status in Mode 2
Handshake status check input port
Suppose Port B is in mode 1 status check input. Processor reads bit 1 (IBF) of Port C
repeatedly till it is set and then the processor reads Port B, as shown below.
AGAIN: IN AL, 7EH; Read Port C
ROR AL, 1;
ROR AL, 1; Check bit 1 of Port C
JNC AGAIN; If it is 0, repeat checking
IN AL, 7DH; Read from Port B
Handshake status check output port
Suppose Port B is in mode 1 status check output. Processor reads bit 1 (OBF*) of Port C
repeatedly till it is set and then the processor writes to Port B.

AGAIN: IN AL, 7EH; Read Port C

ROR AL, 1;
ROR AL, 1; Check bit 1 of Port C
JNC AGAIN; If it is 0, repeat checking
MOV AL, data
OUT 7DH, AL; Write to Port B
Applications of 8255
There are many applications for 8255. We discuss below only Analog to Digital
conversion and Digital to Analog conversion.
Analog to Digital Conversion
ADC 0808 is an 8-bit Analog to Digital Converter chip. It comes in a 28 pin DIP. It uses
successive approximation technique. The conversion is quite fast. The conversion time is
100 micro seconds when the clock rate is 640 KHz. ADC 0808 has 8 analog inputs i/p
0-7. An input is selected for conversion based on C B A inputs. Start of Conversion SOC)
signal is needed to begin conversion. The end of conversion is indicated by activation of
EOC signal. The digital output comes out on Out7-0
Interfacing ADC 0808
8255

ADC 0808

PA7-0
PC7

Out7-0
EOC

D7-0
PC0

SOC

PB0

PB1

PB2

i/p 2

Program for A/D Conversion

MOV AL, 98H; Configure 8255
OUT 7FH, AL; PA as input, PB as output, PCL as output, PCU as input
MOV AL, 02H; Select i/p 2 as analog input
OUT 7DH, AL; by sending 02 to Port B
MOV AL, 00
OUT 7EH, AL; Send 0 on PC0
MOV AL, 01
OUT 7EH, AL; Send 1 on PC0

MOV AL, 00; Send 0 on PC0

OUT 7EH, AL; i.e. send SOC on PC0
WAIT: INAL, 7EH; Read Port C
ROL AL,1; Look at EOC by rotate left
JNC WAIT; Remain in loop while EOC is 0
IN AL, 7CH; Read from Port A after EOC
HLT
Digital to Analog Conversion
DAC 0800 is an 8-bit Digital to Analog Converter chip. It comes in a 16 pin DIP. It has 8
digital inputs. DAC 0808 generates analog current output.Current to voltage converter is
used externally. Current output is generated in about 100 milli seconds.
8255
DAC0800

Port A
D7-0

PA7-0

Current/Voltage
con.

converter
I out

V out

Program for Triangular waveform generation using DAC

MOV AL, 80H; Configure Port A as output in Mode 0
OUT 7FH, AL
MOV AL, 00; Initialize AL with 0
UP:

OUT 7CH, AL; Next 4 instructions generate rising portion of triangular waveform
INC AL;
CMP AL, FFH;
JB UP

DOWN: OUT 7CH, AL; Next 4 instructions generate falling portion of triangular waveform
DEC AL;
CMP AL, 00;
JA DOWN
JMP UP; repeat generation of waveform