CHAPTER 4:

INTERRUPT PROGRAMMING IN C
At the end of the chapter, student should be able to;
-Know about Interrupts in the PIC and apply C
program to interface PIC with external devices using
interrupts.
Interrupt vs Polling
• A single microcontroller can serve several
devices.
• There are 2 methods for a device to
receive service from microcontroller:
– Interrupt
– Polling
Polling

• In polling, the microcontroller continuously

monitors the status of a given device and
executes the task the device needed when
the status will satisfy the condition.
• After that, it moves on to monitor the next
device until each one is served.
Interrupt

• 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 interrupt
signal and serves that device.
Interrupt vs Polling
Interrupt vs Polling
Hardware and Software Interrupts

• PIC Microcontroller consists of both Hardware and

Software Interrupts.
• If the interrupts are generated by external hardware at
certain pins of microcontroller, or by inbuilt devices like
timer, they are called Hardware Interrupts.
• While Software Interrupts are generated by a piece of
code in the program.
• Also known as External and Internal Interrupts.
Sources of interrupt
• Reset, Brown-Out Reset, Watch- • Streaming Parallel Port
dog Reset, Power On Reset Read/Write Interrupt
• External Interrupt 0 (INT0) • EUSART Receive Interrupt
• External Interrupt 1 (INT1) • EUSART Transmit Interrupt
• External Interrupt 2 (INT2) • Master Synchronous Serial Port
• Timer 0 Interrupt Interrupt
• Timer 1 Interrupt • CCP1 Interrupt (Capture,
• Timer 2 Interrupt Compare, PWM)
• Timer 3 Interrupt • Oscillator Fail Interrupt
• ADC Interrupt • USB Interrupt
• Analog Comparator Interrupt • Data EEPROM/Flash Write
Operation Interrupt
• RB Port change Enable • Bus Collision Interrupt
Interrupt
• High/Low-Voltage Detect
Interrupt
• CCP2 Interrupt
Registers For Interrupt Operation
• RCON (Reset Control)
• INTCON, INTCON2, INTCON3 (Interrupt Control)
• PIR1, PIR2 (Peripheral Interrupt Request (Flag))
• PIE1, PIE2 (Peripheral Interrupt Enable)
• IPR1, IPR2 (Peripheral Interrupt Priority)
Interrupt Bits

• Every interrupt source (except INT0) has three bits to

control its operation.
• These bits are:
1. A flag bit to indicate whether an interrupt has occurred.
This bit has a name ending in . . .IF
2. An interrupt enable bit to enable or disable the interrupt
source. This bit has the name ending in . . .IE
3. A priority bit to select high or low priority. This bit has a
name ending in . . .IP
Enabling and disabling an interrupt

• Upon reset, all interrupts are disabled (masked)

• The interrupts must be enabled (unmasked) by
software in order for the microcontroller to
respond to them.
• The D7 bit of INTCON (Interrupt Control) register
is responsible for enabling and disabling the
interrupt globally.
Enabling and disabling an interrupt
Enabling and disabling an interrupt
INTCON Register
Interrupt C coding
• For XC8 compiler, use the following code to
perform interrupt:
INTCONbits.INT0IF = 0; //Clear INT0 External Interrupt Flag
INTCONbits.INT0IE = 1; //Enable INT0 External Interrupt Enable bit
INTCONbits.GIE = 1; //Enable all interrupt (Global Int Enable)

while(1) {
}
}

static void interrupt isr (void) // Interrupt function

{
if (INTCONbits.INT0IF == 1) //Check flag bit
{
//Perform task here
INTCONbits.INT0IF = 0; //Clear flag bit
}
}
External Hardware Interrupts
Interrupt Flag Bit Register Enable Bit Register
INT0 (RB0) INT0IF INTCON INT0IE INTCON
INT1 (RB1) INT1IF INTCON3 INT1IE INTCON3
INT2 (RB2) INT2IF INTCON3 INT2IE INTCON3
#include <xc.h>
void main (void)
{
TRISBbits.TRISB0 = 1; //INT0/RB0 as input
TRISAbits.TRISA0 = 0; //RA0 as output
ADCON1 = 0x0F; //Disable all ANx
INTCONbits.INT0IF = 0; //Clear INT0 External Interrupt Flag
INTCONbits.INT0IE = 1; //Enable INT0 External Interrupt Enable bit
INTCONbits.GIE = 1; //Enable all interrupt
INTCON2bits.INTEDG0 = 0; //Interrupt on falling edge

while(1) {
}}

static void interrupt isr (void) //Here be interrupt function

{
if (INTCONbits.INT0IF == 1) //INT0 is set?
{
LATAbits.LATA0=~LATAbits.LATA0; //Toggle RA0
INTCONbits.INT0IF = 0; //Clear INT0 bit
}
}
Timer Interrupts
Interrupt Flag Bit Register Enable Bit Register
Timer0 TMR0IF INTCON TMR0IE INTCON
Timer1 TMR1IF PIR1 TMR1IE PIE1
Timer2 TMR2IF PIR1 TMR2IE PIE1
Timer3 TMR3IF PIR2 TMR3IE PIE2
#include <xc.h>
void T0Delay (void);

void main (void)

{
ADCON1 = 0x0F; //Disable all ANx
INTCONbits.TMR0IF = 0; //Clear TMR0 Overflow Interrupt Flag bit
INTCONbits.TMR0IE = 1; //Enable TMR0 Overflow Interrupt Enable bit
INTCONbits.GIE = 1; //Enable all interrupt

while(1) {
T0Delay ( ); }
}

void T0Delay ( ){
T0CON = 0x07;
TMR0H = 0xF0;
TMR0L = 0x00;
}

static void interrupt isr (void) //Here be interrupt function

{
if (INTCONbits.TMR0IF == 1) //TMR0 is overflow?
{
T0CONbits.TMR0ON = 0; //Off Timer0
INTCONbits.TMR0IF = 0; //Clear TMR0 bit
}
}
PORTB Change Interrupt
PORTB Change Interrupt Pins
PORTB Change Int. vs External
Hardware Int.
#include <xc.h>
#define LED LATCbits.LATC4
void main (void)
{
ADCON1=0x0F;
TRISBbits.TRISB4 = 1; //RB4 as input
TRIScbits.TRISC6 = 0; //RC6 as output
INTCONbits.RBIF = 0; //Clear RBIF Flag bit
INTCONbits.RBIE = 1; //Enable PORTB Change Interrupt Enable bit
INTCONbits.GIE = 1; //Enable all interrupt

while(1) {
}
}

static void interrupt isr (void) //Here be interrupt function

{
if (INTCONbits.RBIF == 1) //RBIF is set?
{
LED = PORTBbits.RB4; //ON LED
INTCONbits.RBIF = 0; //Clear RBIF flag
}
}