Chapter 3

C PROGRAMMING FOR 8051

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CONTENTS
3.1. Introduction
3.2. C programming for microcontrollers
3.3. I/O programming
3.4. Logic programming

3.5 Timer/ Counter programming

3.6. Serial programming

3.7. Interupt programming

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3.1. Introduction
• Why program 8051 in C
• Compiler proceduce hex files that is downloaded to ROM of microcontroller
• C programming is less time consuming, but has larger hex file size
• The reasons for writing programs in C.

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3.1. Introduction
• Data types
• Unsigned char
• Signed char
• Unsigned int
• Signed int
• Sbit
• Bit and sfr

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3.2. C programming for microcontrollers
• Time delay
• Using a simple for loop
• Using 8051 timer
• Ex 3.1: Write an 8051 C program to toggle bits of P1 continuously forever with
some delay
• Ex 3.2: Write an 8051 C program to toggle bits of P1 continuously with some a
250ms.

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3.3. I/O programming
• Byte size I/O
• Ex 3.3: LEDs are connected to bits P1 and P2. Write an 8051 C program that shows the
count from 0 to FFH on the LEDs.
• Ex 3.4: Write an 8051 C program to get a byte of data form P1, wait ½ second, and then
send it to P2.
• Ex 3.5: : Write an 8051 C program to get a byte of data form P0, wait ½ second. If it is
less than 100, sen it to P1; otherwise, and then send it to P2.

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3.3. I/O programming
• Bit-addressable I/O
• Ex 3.6: Write an 8051 C program to toggle only bit P2.4 continuously without disturbing
the rest of the bits of P2.
• Ex 3.7: Write an 8051 C program to monitor bit P1.5. If it is high, send 55h to P0;
otherwise, and then send AAh to P2
• Ex 3.8: A door sensor is connected to the P1.1 pin, and a buzzer is connected to P1.7.
Write an 8051 program to monitor the door sensor, and when it opens, sound the buzzer.
You can sound the buzzer by sending a square wave of a few hundred Hz.
• Ex 3.9: The data pins of an LCD are connected to P1. the information is latched into the
LCD whenever its Enable pin goes from high to low. Write an 8051 C grogram to send
“The Earth is but One Country” to this LCD.

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3.3. I/O programming
• Accessing SFR Addresses 80 - FFH
• Ex 3.10: Write an 8051 C program to turn bit P1.5 on and off 50,000 times.
• Ex 3.11: Write an 8051 C program to get the status of P1.0, save it, and send it to P2.7,
continuously.

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3.4. Logic programming
• Bit-wise operators on C
• Logical operators
• AND (&&), OR (||), NOT (!)
• Bit-wise operators
• AND (&), OR (|), Inverter (~), Shift Right (>>), Shift Left (<<)

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3.4. Logic programming
• Bit-wise operators on C
• Ex 3.12: Write an 8051 C program to toogle all the bits of P0 and P2 continuously with a
250ms delay. Using the inverting and Ex-OR operators, respectively.
• Ex 3.13: Write an 8051 C program to bet bit P1.0 and send it to P2.7 after inverting it.

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3.4. Logic programming
• RAM data space usage by 8051 C compiler
• Bank 0 – addresses 0-7
• Individual variables – addresses 08 and beyond
• Array elements – addresses right after variables
• Stack – addresses right after array elements.

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3.4. Logic programming
• Data serialization
• A way of sending a byte of data one bit at a time through a single pin of microcontroller
• Using the serial port
• Transfer data one bit a time and control the sequence of data and spaces in between them
• Ex: Write a C program to send out the value 44H serially one bit at a time via P1.0: the
LSB should go first out first.
• Ex: Write a C program to send out the value 44H serially one bit at a time via P1.0: the
MSB should go first out first.

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3.5 Timer/ Counter programming
• Timers programming
• Two timers/counters
• 16 bits wide
• Low byte and high byte

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3.5 Timer/ Counter programming
• Timers programming
• TMOD register: 8 bit
• The lower 4 bits are for Timer 0
• The upper 4 bits are for Timer 1

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3.5 Timer/ Counter programming
• Mode 1 programming
• It is a 16-bit timer; therefor, it allows value of 0000 to FFFFh to be loaded into the timer’s
register TL, TH
• After TH and TL are loaded with a 16-bit initial value, the timer must be started
• After the time started, it starts to count up until FFFFH
• When it rolls over from FFFFh to 0000, it sets high a flag bit called TF (TF0, TF1)
• When this timer flag is raised, one option would be to stop the timer with the instruction CLR TR0 or
CLR TR1.
• After the timer reaches its limit and rolls over, in order to repeat the process

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3.5 Timer/ Counter programming
• Mode 1 programming
• Finding the loaded Timer value
• Assume XTAL = 11.0592 MHz, we can use the following steps for finding the TH, TL registers’s
values
• Divide the designed time delay by 1.085us
• Perform 65536 – n, where n is the decimal value we got in Step 1
• Convert the result of step 2 to hex, yyxx
• Set TL = xx, and TH yy

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3.5 Timer/ Counter programming
• Mode 2 programming
• 8 bit timer: 00 – FFh
• After TH is loaded with the 8 bit value, the 8051 gives a copy of it to TL
• After the timer is started, it starts to count up by incrementing the TL register
• When the TL register rolls from FFh to 0 and TF is set to 1, TL is reloaded automatically
with the original value kept by the TH register

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3.5 Timer/ Counter programming
• Mode 2 programming
• Load the TMOD value register indicating which timer is to be used, and the timer mode is
selected
• Load the TH registers with the initial count value
• start timer
• Keep monitoring the timer flag (TF) with the JNB TFx, target instruction to see whether it
is raised
• Clear the TF flag
• Go back to Step 4 since mode 2 is autoload

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3.5 Timer/ Counter programming
• Counter programming
• Timers can also be used as counters counting events happing outside the 8051
• The C/T bit in the TMOD registers decides the source of the clock for the timer

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3.5 Timer/ Counter programming
• C/T bit in TMOD Register

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3.5 Timer/ Counter programming
• TCON register
• 8 bit

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3.5 Timer/ Counter programming
• TCON register
• A bit-addressable register

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3.5 Timer/ Counter programming
• Ex: Write an 8051 C program to toogle all the bits of port P1 continuously with
some delay in between. Use Timer 0, 16 bit mode to generate the delay.
• Ex: Write an 8051 C program to toogle only bit P1.5 continuously every 50ms.
Use Timer 0, mode 1, 16 bit mode to generate the delay.

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3.6. Serial communication
• Serial communication
• Computer transfer data in two ways:
• Parallel and Serial

• Two method: synchronous and assynchronous

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3.6. Serial communication
• Serial communication
• Ex: Write an 8051 C program to transfer the message “YES” serially at 9600 baud, 8-bit
data, 1 stop bit. Do this continuously.
• Ex: Program the 8051 in C to receive bytes of data serially and put them in P1. Set the
baud rate at 4800, 8 bit data, and the 1 stop bit.

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3.7. Interupt programming
• The TCON register holds four of the interrupt flags, in the 8051 the SCON
register has the RI and TI flags.

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3.7. Interupt programming
• When the 8051 is powered up, the priorities are assigned according to the
following

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3.7. Interupt programming

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3.7. Interupt programming
• Ex: Write a C program that continously gets a single bit of data from P1.7 and
sends it to P1.0, while simultaneously creating a square wave of 200us priod on
pin P2.5. Use timer 0 to create the square wave. Assume that XTAL = 11.0592
MHz.
• Ex: Write a C program using interrupts to do the following:
• a. Receive data serically and send it to P0.
• b. Read port P1, transmit data serially, and give a copy to P2
• c. make timer 0 generate a square wave of 5kHz frequency on P0.1. Assume that
XTAL = 11.0592 MHz. Set the baud rate at 4800.

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