ATmega128

16-bit The 16-bit Timer/Counter unit allows accurate program execution timing (event management),
wave generation, and signal timing measurement. The main features are:
Timer/Counter • True 16-bit Design (i.e.,Allows 16-bit PWM)
(Timer/Counter • Three Independent Output Compare Units
• Double Buffered Output Compare Registers
1 and • One Input Capture Unit
Timer/Counter3 • Input Capture Noise Canceler
• Clear Timer on Compare Match (Auto Reload)
) • Glitch-free, Phase Correct Pulse width Modulator (PWM)
• Variable PWM Period
• Frequency Generator
• External Event Counter
• Ten Independent Interrupt Sources (TOV1, OCF1A, OCF1B, OCF1C, ICF1, TOV3, OCF3A, OCF3B,
OCF3C, and ICF3)

Restrictions in Note that in Atmel® AVR® ATmega103 compatibility mode, only one 16-bit Timer/Counter is
ATmega103 available (Timer/Counter1). Also note that in ATmega103 compatibility mode, the
Compatibility Mode Timer/Counter1 has two Compare Registers (Compare A and Compare B) only.

Overview Most register and bit references in this section are written in general form. A lower case “n”
replaces the Timer/Counter number, and a lower case “x” replaces the Output Compare unit
channel. However, when using the register or bit defines in a program, the precise form must be
used i.e., TCNT1 for accessing Timer/Counter1 counter value and so on.
A simplified block diagram of the 16-bit Timer/Counter is shown in Figure 46. For the actual
placement of I/O pins, refer to “Pin Configurations” on page 2. CPU accessible I/O Registers,
including I/O bits and I/O pins, are shown in bold. The device-specific I/O Register and bit loca-
tions are listed in the “16-bit Timer/Counter Register Description” on page 132.

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Figure 46. 16-bit Timer/Counter Block Diagram

Count TOVx
Clear ([Link].)
Control Logic
Direction TCLK Clock Select

Edge
Tx
Detector

TOP BOTTOM

( From Prescaler )
Timer/Counter
TCNTx
= =0
OCFxA
([Link].)

Waveform
= Generation
OCxA

OCRxA

Fixed OCFxB
TOP ([Link].)
Values
Waveform
= Generation
OCxB
DATABUS

OCRxB

OCFxC
([Link].)

Waveform
= Generation
OCxC

OCRxC ( From Analog

Comparator Ouput )
ICFx ([Link].)

Edge Noise
ICRx
Detector Canceler
ICPx

TCCRxA TCCRxB TCCRxC

Note: Refer to Figure 1 on page 2, Table 30 on page 73, and Table 39 on page 80 for Timer/Counter1
and 3 pin placement and description.

Registers The Timer/Counter (TCNTn), Output Compare Registers (OCRnA/B/C), and Input Capture Reg-
ister (ICRn) are all 16-bit registers. Special procedures must be followed when accessing the 16-
bit registers. These procedures are described in the section “Accessing 16-bit Registers” on
page 114. The Timer/Counter Control Registers (TCCRnA/B/C) are 8-bit registers and have no
CPU access restrictions. Interrupt requests (shorten as [Link].) signals are all visible in the
Timer Interrupt Flag Register (TIFR) and Extended Timer Interrupt Flag Register (ETIFR). All
interrupts are individually masked with the Timer Interrupt Mask Register (TIMSK) and Extended
Timer Interrupt Mask Register (ETIMSK). (E)TIFR and (E)TIMSK are not shown in the figure
since these registers are shared by other timer units.
The Timer/Counter can be clocked internally, via the prescaler, or by an external clock source on
the Tn pin. The Clock Select logic block controls which clock source and edge the Timer/Counter
uses to increment (or decrement) its value. The Timer/Counter is inactive when no clock source
is selected. The output from the clock select logic is referred to as the timer clock (clkTn).
The double buffered Output Compare Registers (OCRnA/B/C) are compared with the
Timer/Counter value at all time. The result of the compare can be used by the waveform gener-
ator to generate a PWM or variable frequency output on the Output Compare Pin (OCnA/B/C).

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See “Output Compare Units” on page 120.. The compare match event will also set the compare
match flag (OCFnA/B/C) which can be used to generate an output compare interrupt request.
The Input Capture Register can capture the Timer/Counter value at a given external (edge trig-
gered) event on either the Input Capture Pin (ICPn) or on the Analog Comparator pins (See
“Analog Comparator” on page 227.) The Input Capture unit includes a digital filtering unit (Noise
Canceler) for reducing the chance of capturing noise spikes.
The TOP value, or maximum Timer/Counter value, can in some modes of operation be defined
by either the OCRnA Register, the ICRn Register, or by a set of fixed values. When using
OCRnA as TOP value in a PWM mode, the OCRnA Register can not be used for generating a
PWM output. However, the TOP value will in this case be double buffered allowing the TOP
value to be changed in run time. If a fixed TOP value is required, the ICRn Register can be used
as an alternative, freeing the OCRnA to be used as PWM output.

Definitions The following definitions are used extensively throughout the document:
Table 57. Definitions
BOTTOM The counter reaches the BOTTOM when it becomes 0x0000.

MAX The counter reaches its MAXimum when it becomes 0xFFFF (decimal 65535).

TOP The counter reaches the TOP when it becomes equal to the highest value in the
count sequence. The TOP value can be assigned to be one of the fixed values:
0x00FF, 0x01FF, or 0x03FF, or to the value stored in the OCRnA or ICRn
Register. The assignment is dependent of the mode of operation.

Compatibility The 16-bit Timer/Counter has been updated and improved from previous versions of the 16-bit
AVR Timer/Counter. This 16-bit Timer/Counter is fully compatible with the earlier version
regarding:
• All 16-bit Timer/Counter related I/O register address locations, including timer interrupt
registers.
• Bit locations inside all 16-bit Timer/Counter Registers, including Timer Interrupt Registers.
• Interrupt vectors.
The following control bits have changed name, but have same functionality and register location:
• PWMn0 is changed to WGMn0.
• PWMn1 is changed to WGMn1.
• CTCn is changed to WGMn2.
The following registers are added to the 16-bit Timer/Counter:
• Timer/Counter Control Register C (TCCRnC).
• Output Compare Register C, OCRnCH and OCRnCL, combined OCRnC.
The following bits are added to the 16-bit Timer/Counter Control Registers:
• COM1C1:0 are added to TCCR1A.
• FOCnA, FOCnB, and FOCnC are added in the new TCCRnC Register.
• WGMn3 is added to TCCRnB.
Interrupt flag and mask bits for output compare unit C are added.
The 16-bit Timer/Counter has improvements that will affect the compatibility in some special
cases.

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Accessing 16-bit The TCNTn, OCRnA/B/C, and ICRn are 16-bit registers that can be accessed by the AVR CPU
Registers via the 8-bit data bus. The 16-bit register must be byte accessed using two read or write opera-
tions. Each 16-bit timer has a single 8-bit register for temporary storing of the high byte of the 16-
bit access. The same Temporary Register is shared between all 16-bit registers within each 16-
bit timer. Accessing the low byte triggers the 16-bit read or write operation. When the low byte of
a 16-bit register is written by the CPU, the high byte stored in the Temporary Register, and the
low byte written are both copied into the 16-bit register in the same clock cycle. When the low
byte of a 16-bit register is read by the CPU, the high byte of the 16-bit register is copied into the
Temporary Register in the same clock cycle as the low byte is read.
Not all 16-bit accesses uses the Temporary Register for the high byte. Reading the OCRnA/B/C
16-bit registers does not involve using the Temporary Register.
To do a 16-bit write, the high byte must be written before the low byte. For a 16-bit read, the low
byte must be read before the high byte.
The following code examples show how to access the 16-bit timer registers assuming that no
interrupts updates the temporary register. The same principle can be used directly for accessing
the OCRnA/B/C and ICRn Registers. Note that when using “C”, the compiler handles the 16-bit
access.
Assembly Code Examples(1)
...
; Set TCNTn to 0x01FF
ldi r17,0x01
ldi r16,0xFF
out TCNTnH,r17
out TCNTnL,r16
; Read TCNTn into r17:r16
in r16,TCNTnL
in r17,TCNTnH
...
C Code Examples(1)
unsigned int i;
...
/* Set TCNTn to 0x01FF */
TCNTn = 0x1FF;
/* Read TCNTn into i */
i = TCNTn;
...

Note: 1. See “About Code Examples” on page 8.

The assembly code example returns the TCNTn value in the r17:r16 register pair.
It is important to notice that accessing 16-bit registers are atomic operations. If an interrupt
occurs between the two instructions accessing the 16-bit register, and the interrupt code
updates the temporary register by accessing the same or any other of the 16-bit Timer Regis-
ters, then the result of the access outside the interrupt will be corrupted. Therefore, when both
the main code and the interrupt code update the temporary register, the main code must disable
the interrupts during the 16-bit access.

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The following code examples show how to do an atomic read of the TCNTn Register contents.
Reading any of the OCRnA/B/C or ICRn Registers can be done by using the same principle.
Assembly Code Example(1)
TIM16_ReadTCNTn:
; Save global interrupt flag
in r18,SREG
; Disable interrupts
cli
; Read TCNTn into r17:r16
in r16,TCNTnL
in r17,TCNTnH
; Restore global interrupt flag
out SREG,r18
ret
C Code Example(1)
unsigned int TIM16_ReadTCNTn( void )
{
unsigned char sreg;
unsigned int i;
/* Save global interrupt flag */
sreg = SREG;
/* Disable interrupts */
__disable_interrupt();
/* Read TCNTn into i */
i = TCNTn;
/* Restore global interrupt flag */
SREG = sreg;
return i;
}

Note: 1. See “About Code Examples” on page 8.

The assembly code example returns the TCNTn value in the r17:r16 register pair.

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The following code examples show how to do an atomic write of the TCNTn Register contents.
Writing any of the OCRnA/B/C or ICRn Registers can be done by using the same principle.
Assembly Code Example(1)
TIM16_WriteTCNTn:
; Save global interrupt flag
in r18,SREG
; Disable interrupts
cli
; Set TCNTn to r17:r16
out TCNTnH,r17
out TCNTnL,r16
; Restore global interrupt flag
out SREG,r18
ret
C Code Example(1)
void TIM16_WriteTCNTn( unsigned int i )
{
unsigned char sreg;
unsigned int i;
/* Save global interrupt flag */
sreg = SREG;
/* Disable interrupts */
__disable_interrupt();
/* Set TCNTn to i */
TCNTn = i;
/* Restore global interrupt flag */
SREG = sreg;
}

Note: 1. See “About Code Examples” on page 8.

The assembly code example requires that the r17:r16 register pair contains the value to be
written to TCNTn.

Reusing the If writing to more than one 16-bit register where the high byte is the same for all registers written,
Temporary High Byte then the high byte only needs to be written once. However, note that the same rule of atomic
Register operation described previously also applies in this case.

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Timer/Counter The Timer/Counter can be clocked by an internal or an external clock source. The clock source
Clock Sources is selected by the clock select logic which is controlled by the Clock Select (CSn2:0) bits located
in the Timer/Counter Control Register B (TCCRnB). For details on clock sources and prescaler,
see “Timer/Counter3, Timer/Counter2, and Timer/Counter1 Prescalers” on page 143.

Counter Unit The main part of the 16-bit Timer/Counter is the programmable 16-bit bi-directional counter unit.
Figure 47 shows a block diagram of the counter and its surroundings.

Figure 47. Counter Unit Block Diagram

DATA BUS (8-bit)
TOVn
([Link].)

TEMP (8-bit)
Clock Select
Count Edge
Tn
TCNTnH (8-bit) TCNTnL (8-bit) Clear clkTn Detector
Control Logic
Direction
TCNTn (16-bit Counter)
( From Prescaler )

TOP BOTTOM

Signal description (internal signals):

Count Increment or decrement TCNTn by 1.
Direction Select between increment and decrement.
Clear Clear TCNTn (set all bits to zero).
clkTn Timer/Counter clock.
TOP Signalize that TCNTn has reached maximum value.
BOTTOM Signalize that TCNTn has reached minimum value (zero).
The 16-bit counter is mapped into two 8-bit I/O memory locations: Counter High (TCNTnH) con-
taining the upper 8-bits of the counter, and Counter Low (TCNTnL) containing the lower 8-bits.
The TCNTnH Register can only be indirectly accessed by the CPU. When the CPU does an
access to the TCNTnH I/O location, the CPU accesses the high byte Temporary Register
(TEMP). The Temporary Register is updated with the TCNTnH value when the TCNTnL is read,
and TCNTnH is updated with the Temporary Register value when TCNTnL is written. This
allows the CPU to read or write the entire 16-bit counter value within one clock cycle via the 8-bit
data bus. It is important to notice that there are special cases of writing to the TCNTn Register
when the counter is counting that will give unpredictable results. The special cases are
described in the sections where they are of importance.
Depending on the mode of operation used, the counter is cleared, incremented, or decremented
at each Timer Clock (clkT n). The clk T n can be generated from an external or internal clock
source, selected by the Clock Select bits (CSn2:0). When no clock source is selected (CSn2:0 =
0) the timer is stopped. However, the TCNTn value can be accessed by the CPU, independent
of whether clkTn is present or not. A CPU write overrides (has priority over) all counter clear or
count operations.
The counting sequence is determined by the setting of the Waveform Generation mode bits
(WGMn3:0) located in the Timer/Counter Control Registers A and B (TCCRnA and TCCRnB).
There are close connections between how the counter behaves (counts) and how waveforms

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are generated on the output compare outputs OCnx. For more details about advanced counting
sequences and waveform generation, see “Modes of Operation” on page 123.
The Timer/Counter Overflow (TOVn) flag is set according to the mode of operation selected by
the WGMn3:0 bits. TOVn can be used for generating a CPU interrupt.

Input Capture Unit The Timer/Counter incorporates an Input Capture unit that can capture external events and give
them a time-stamp indicating time of occurrence. The external signal indicating an event, or mul-
tiple events, can be applied via the ICPn pin or alternatively, for the Timer/Counter1 only, via the
Analog Comparator unit. The time-stamps can then be used to calculate frequency, duty-cycle,
and other features of the signal applied. Alternatively the time-stamps can be used for creating a
log of the events.
The Input Capture unit is illustrated by the block diagram shown in Figure 48. The elements of
the block diagram that are not directly a part of the Input Capture unit are gray shaded. The
small “n” in register and bit names indicates the Timer/Counter number.

Figure 48. Input Capture Unit Block Diagram

DATA BUS (8-bit)

TEMP (8-bit)

ICRnH (8-bit) ICRnL (8-bit) TCNTnH (8-bit) TCNTnL (8-bit)

WRITE ICRn (16-bit Register) TCNTn (16-bit Counter)

ACO* ACIC* ICNC ICES

Analog
Comparator Noise Edge
ICFn ([Link].)
Canceler Detector
ICPn

Note: The Analog Comparator Output (ACO) can only trigger the Timer/Counter1 ICP – not
Timer/Counter3.
When a change of the logic level (an event) occurs on the Input Capture Pin (ICPn), alternatively
on the analog Comparator output (ACO), and this change confirms to the setting of the edge
detector, a capture will be triggered. When a capture is triggered, the 16-bit value of the counter
(TCNTn) is written to the Input Capture Register (ICRn). The Input Capture Flag (ICFn) is set at
the same system clock as the TCNTn value is copied into ICRn Register. If enabled (TICIEn =
1), the Input Capture flag generates an Input Capture interrupt. The ICFn flag is automatically
cleared when the interrupt is executed. Alternatively the ICFn flag can be cleared by software by
writing a logical one to its I/O bit location.
Reading the 16-bit value in the Input Capture Register (ICRn) is done by first reading the low
byte (ICRnL) and then the high byte (ICRnH). When the low byte is read the high byte is copied

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into the high byte Temporary Register (TEMP). When the CPU reads the ICRnH I/O location it
will access the TEMP Register.
The ICRn Register can only be written when using a Waveform Generation mode that utilizes
the ICRn Register for defining the counter’s TOP value. In these cases the Waveform Genera-
tion mode (WGMn3:0) bits must be set before the TOP value can be written to the ICRn
Register. When writing the ICRn Register the high byte must be written to the ICRnH I/O location
before the low byte is written to ICRnL.
For more information on how to access the 16-bit registers refer to “Accessing 16-bit Registers”
on page 114.

Input Capture Pin The main trigger source for the Input Capture unit is the Input Capture Pin (ICPn).
Source Timer/Counter1 can alternatively use the analog comparator output as trigger source for the
Input Capture unit. The Analog Comparator is selected as trigger source by setting the analog
Comparator Input Capture (ACIC) bit in the Analog Comparator Control and Status Register
(ACSR). Be aware that changing trigger source can trigger a capture. The Input Capture flag
must therefore be cleared after the change.
Both the Input Capture Pin (ICPn) and the Analog Comparator output (ACO) inputs are sampled
using the same technique as for the Tn pin (Figure 59 on page 143). The edge detector is also
identical. However, when the noise canceler is enabled, additional logic is inserted before the
edge detector, which increases the delay by four system clock cycles. Note that the input of the
noise canceler and edge detector is always enabled unless the Timer/Counter is set in a Wave-
form Generation mode that uses ICRn to define TOP.
An Input Capture can be triggered by software by controlling the port of the ICPn pin.

Noise Canceler The noise canceler improves noise immunity by using a simple digital filtering scheme. The
noise canceler input is monitored over four samples, and all four must be equal for changing the
output that in turn is used by the edge detector.
The noise canceler is enabled by setting the Input Capture Noise Canceler (ICNCn) bit in
Timer/Counter Control Register B (TCCRnB). When enabled the noise canceler introduces addi-
tional four system clock cycles of delay from a change applied to the input, to the update of the
ICRn Register. The noise canceler uses the system clock and is therefore not affected by the
prescaler.

Using the Input The main challenge when using the Input Capture unit is to assign enough processor capacity
Capture Unit for handling the incoming events. The time between two events is critical. If the processor has
not read the captured value in the ICRn Register before the next event occurs, the ICRn will be
overwritten with a new value. In this case the result of the capture will be incorrect.
When using the Input Capture interrupt, the ICRn Register should be read as early in the inter-
rupt handler routine as possible. Even though the Input Capture interrupt has relatively high
priority, the maximum interrupt response time is dependent on the maximum number of clock
cycles it takes to handle any of the other interrupt requests.
Using the Input Capture unit in any mode of operation when the TOP value (resolution) is
actively changed during operation, is not recommended.
Measurement of an external signal’s duty cycle requires that the trigger edge is changed after
each capture. Changing the edge sensing must be done as early as possible after the ICRn
Register has been read. After a change of the edge, the Input Capture flag (ICFn) must be
cleared by software (writing a logical one to the I/O bit location). For measuring frequency only,
the clearing of the ICFn flag is not required (if an interrupt handler is used).

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Output Compare The 16-bit comparator continuously compares TCNTn with the Output Compare Register
Units (OCRnx). If TCNT equals OCRnx the comparator signals a match. A match will set the Output
Compare Flag (OCFnx) at the next timer clock cycle. If enabled (OCIEnx = 1), the output com-
pare flag generates an output compare interrupt. The OCFnx flag is automatically cleared when
the interrupt is executed. Alternatively the OCFnx flag can be cleared by software by writing a
logical one to its I/O bit location. The Waveform Generator uses the match signal to generate an
output according to operating mode set by the Waveform Generation mode (WGMn3:0) bits and
Compare Output mode (COMnx1:0) bits. The TOP and BOTTOM signals are used by the wave-
form generator for handling the special cases of the extreme values in some modes of operation
(See “Modes of Operation” on page 123.)
A special feature of output compare unit A allows it to define the Timer/Counter TOP value (i.e.,
counter resolution). In addition to the counter resolution, the TOP value defines the period time
for waveforms generated by the waveform generator.
Figure 49 shows a block diagram of the output compare unit. The small “n” in the register and bit
names indicates the device number (n = n for Timer/Counter n), and the “x” indicates output
compare unit (A/B/C). The elements of the block diagram that are not directly a part of the output
compare unit are gray shaded.

Figure 49. Output Compare Unit, Block Diagram

DATABUS (8-bit)

TEMP (8-bit)

OCRnxH Buf. (8-bit) OCRnxL Buf. (8-bit) TCNTnH (8-bit) TCNTnL (8-bit)

OCRnx Buffer (16-bit Register) TCNTn (16-bit Counter)

OCRnxH (8-bit) OCRnxL (8-bit)

OCRnx (16-bit Register)

= (16-bit Comparator )
OCFnx ([Link].)

TOP
Waveform Generator OCnx
BOTTOM

WGMn3:0 COMnx1:0

The OCRnx Register is double buffered when using any of the twelve Pulse Width Modulation
(PWM) modes. For the normal and Clear Timer on Compare (CTC) modes of operation, the dou-
ble buffering is disabled. The double buffering synchronizes the update of the OCRnx Compare
Register to either TOP or BOTTOM of the counting sequence. The synchronization prevents the
occurrence of odd-length, non-symmetrical PWM pulses, thereby making the output glitch-free.

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The OCRnx Register access may seem complex, but this is not case. When the double buffering
is enabled, the CPU has access to the OCRnx buffer register, and if double buffering is disabled
the CPU will access the OCRnx directly. The content of the OCR1x (buffer or compare) register
is only changed by a write operation (the Timer/Counter does not update this register automati-
cally as the TCNTn- and ICRn Register). Therefore OCRnx is not read via the high byte
Temporary Register (TEMP). However, it is a good practice to read the low byte first as when
accessing other 16-bit registers. Writing the OCRnx registers must be done via the TEMP Regis-
ter since the compare of all 16 bits is done continuously. The high byte (OCRnxH) has to be
written first. When the high byte I/O location is written by the CPU, the TEMP Register will be
updated by the value written. Then when the low byte (OCRnxL) is written to the lower 8 bits, the
high byte will be copied into the upper 8 bits of either the OCRnx buffer or OCRnx Compare
Register in the same system clock cycle.
For more information of how to access the 16-bit registers refer to “Accessing 16-bit Registers”
on page 114.

Force Output In non-PWM Waveform Generation modes, the match output of the comparator can be forced by
Compare writing a one to the Force Output Compare (FOCnx) bit. Forcing compare match will not set the
OCFnx flag or reload/clear the timer, but the OCnx pin will be updated as if a real compare
match had occurred (the COMnx1:0 bits settings define whether the OCnx pin is set, cleared or
toggled).

Compare Match All CPU writes to the TCNTn Register will block any compare match that occurs in the next timer
Blocking by TCNTn clock cycle, even when the timer is stopped. This feature allows OCRnx to be initialized to the
Write same value as TCNTn without triggering an interrupt when the Timer/Counter clock is enabled.

Using the Output Since writing TCNTn in any mode of operation will block all compare matches for one timer clock
Compare Unit cycle, there are risks involved when changing TCNTn when using any of the output compare
channels, independent of whether the Timer/Counter is running or not. If the value written to
TCNTn equals the OCRnx value, the compare match will be missed, resulting in incorrect wave-
form generation. Do not write the TCNTn equal to TOP in PWM modes with variable TOP
values. The compare match for the TOP will be ignored and the counter will continue to 0xFFFF.
Similarly, do not write the TCNTn value equal to BOTTOM when the counter is downcounting.
The setup of the OCnx should be performed before setting the Data Direction Register for the
port pin to output. The easiest way of setting the OCnx value is to use the force output compare
(FOCnx) strobe bits in normal mode. The OCnx Register keeps its value even when changing
between waveform generation modes.
Be aware that the COMnx1:0 bits are not double buffered together with the compare value.
Changing the COMnx1:0 bits will take effect immediately.

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Compare Match The Compare Output mode (COMnx1:0) bits have two functions. The waveform generator uses
Output Unit the COMnx1:0 bits for defining the output compare (OCnx) state at the next compare match.
Secondly the COMnx1:0 bits control the OCnx pin output source. Figure 50 shows a simplified
schematic of the logic affected by the COMnx1:0 bit setting. The I/O registers, I/O bits, and I/O
pins in the figure are shown in bold. Only the parts of the general I/O port control registers (DDR
and PORT) that are affected by the COMnx1:0 bits are shown. When referring to the OCnx
state, the reference is for the internal OCnx Register, not the OCnx pin. If a system Reset occur,
the OCnx Register is reset to “0”.

Figure 50. Compare Match Output Unit, Schematic

COMnx1
COMnx0 Waveform
D Q
FOCnx Generator
1
OCnx
OCnx Pin
0

DATA BUS D Q

PORT

D Q

DDR
clk I/O

The general I/O port function is overridden by the output compare (OCnx) from the Waveform
Generator if either of the COMnx1:0 bits are set. However, the OCnx pin direction (input or out-
put) is still controlled by the Data Direction Register (DDR) for the port pin. The data direction
register bit for the OCnx pin (DDR_OCnx) must be set as output before the OCnx value is visible
on the pin. The port override function is generally independent of the waveform generation
mode, but there are some exceptions. Refer to Table 58, Table 59 and Table 60 for details.
The design of the output compare pin logic allows initialization of the OCnx state before the out-
put is enabled. Note that some COMnx1:0 bit settings are reserved for certain modes of
operation. See “16-bit Timer/Counter Register Description” on page 132.
The COMnx1:0 bits have no effect on the Input Capture unit.

Compare Output Mode The waveform generator uses the COMnx1:0 bits differently in normal, CTC, and PWM modes.
and Waveform For all modes, setting the COMnx1:0 = 0 tells the waveform generator that no action on the
Generation OCnx Register is to be performed on the next compare match. For compare output actions in the
non-PWM modes refer to Table 58 on page 132. For fast PWM mode refer to Table 59 on page
133, and for phase correct and phase and frequency correct PWM refer to Table 60 on page
133.
A change of the COMnx1:0 bits state will have effect at the first compare match after the bits are
written. For non-PWM modes, the action can be forced to have immediate effect by using the
FOCnx strobe bits.

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Modes of The mode of operation, i.e., the behavior of the Timer/Counter and the output compare pins, is
Operation defined by the combination of the Waveform Generation mode (WGMn3:0) and Compare Output
mode (COMnx1:0) bits. The Compare Output mode bits do not affect the counting sequence,
while the waveform generation mode bits do. The COMnx1:0 bits control whether the PWM
output generated should be inverted or not (inverted or non-inverted PWM). For non-PWM
modes the COMnx1:0 bits control whether the output should be set, cleared or toggle at a
compare match (See “Compare Match Output Unit” on page 122.)
For detailed timing information refer to “Timer/Counter Timing Diagrams” on page 130.

Normal Mode The simplest mode of operation is the normal mode (WGMn3:0 = 0). In this mode the counting
direction is always up (incrementing), and no counter clear is performed. The counter simply
overruns when it passes its maximum 16-bit value (MAX = 0xFFFF) and then restarts from the
BOTTOM (0x0000). In normal operation the Timer/Counter Overflow Flag (TOVn) will be set in
the same timer clock cycle as the TCNTn becomes zero. The TOVn flag in this case behaves
like a 17th bit, except that it is only set, not cleared. However, combined with the timer overflow
interrupt that automatically clears the TOVn flag, the timer resolution can be increased by soft-
ware. There are no special cases to consider in the normal mode, a new counter value can be
written anytime.
The Input Capture unit is easy to use in normal mode. However, observe that the maximum
interval between the external events must not exceed the resolution of the counter. If the interval
between events are too long, the timer overflow interrupt or the prescaler must be used to
extend the resolution for the capture unit.
The output compare units can be used to generate interrupts at some given time. Using the out-
put compare to generate waveforms in normal mode is not recommended, since this will occupy
too much of the CPU time.

Clear Timer on In Clear Timer on Compare or CTC mode (WGMn3:0 = 4 or 12), the OCRnA or ICRn Register
Compare Match (CTC) are used to manipulate the counter resolution. In CTC mode the counter is cleared to zero when
Mode the counter value (TCNTn) matches either the OCRnA (WGMn3:0 = 4) or the ICRn
(WGMn3:0 = 12). The OCRnA or ICRn define the top value for the counter, hence also its reso-
lution. This mode allows greater control of the compare match output frequency. It also simplifies
the operation of counting external events.
The timing diagram for the CTC mode is shown in Figure 51. The counter value (TCNTn)
increases until a compare match occurs with either OCRnA or ICRn, and then counter (TCNTn)
is cleared.

Figure 51. CTC Mode, Timing Diagram

OCnA Interrupt Flag Set

or ICFn Interrupt Flag Set
(Interrupt on TOP)

TCNTn

OCnA
(COMnA1:0 = 1)
(Toggle)

Period 1 2 3 4

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An interrupt can be generated at each time the counter value reaches the TOP value by either
using the OCFnA or ICFn flag according to the register used to define the TOP value. If the inter-
rupt is enabled, the interrupt handler routine can be used for updating the TOP value. However,
changing the TOP to a value close to BOTTOM when the counter is running with none or a low
prescaler value must be done with care since the CTC mode does not have the double buffering
feature. If the new value written to OCRnA or ICRn is lower than the current value of TCNTn, the
counter will miss the compare match. The counter will then have to count to its maximum value
(0xFFFF) and wrap around starting at 0x0000 before the compare match can occur. In many
cases this feature is not desirable. An alternative will then be to use the fast PWM mode using
OCRnA for defining TOP (WGMn3:0 = 15) since the OCRnA then will be double buffered.
For generating a waveform output in CTC mode, the OCnA output can be set to toggle its logical
level on each compare match by setting the compare output mode bits to toggle mode
(COMnA1:0 = 1). The OCnA value will not be visible on the port pin unless the data direction for
the pin is set to output (DDR_OCnA = 1). The waveform generated will have a maximum fre-
quency of fOCnA = fclk_I/O/2 when OCRnA is set to zero (0x0000). The waveform frequency is
defined by the following equation:
f clk_I/O
f OCnA = --------------------------------------------------
-
2 ⋅ N ⋅ ( 1 + OCRnA )

The N variable represents the prescaler factor (1, 8, 64, 256, or 1024).
As for the normal mode of operation, the TOVn flag is set in the same timer clock cycle that the
counter counts from MAX to 0x0000.

Fast PWM Mode The fast Pulse Width Modulation or fast PWM mode (WGMn3:0 = 5,6,7,14, or 15) provides a
high frequency PWM waveform generation option. The fast PWM differs from the other PWM
options by its single-slope operation. The counter counts from BOTTOM to TOP then restarts
from BOTTOM. In non-inverting Compare Output mode, the output compare (OCnx) is cleared
on the compare match between TCNTn and OCRnx, and setat BOTTOM. In inverting compare
output mode output is set on compare match and cleared at BOTTOM. Due to the single-slope
operation, the operating frequency of the fast PWM mode can be twice as high as the phase cor-
rect and phase and frequency correct PWM modes that use dual-slope operation. This high
frequency makes the fast PWM mode well suited for power regulation, rectification, and DAC
applications. High frequency allows physically small sized external components (coils, capaci-
tors), hence reduces total system cost.
The PWM resolution for fast PWM can be fixed to 8-bit, 9-bit, or 10-bit, or defined by either ICRn
or OCRnA. The minimum resolution allowed is 2-bit (ICRn or OCRnA set to 0x0003), and the
maximum resolution is 16-bit (ICRn or OCRnA set to MAX). The PWM resolution in bits can be
calculated by using the following equation:
log ( TOP + 1 -)
R FPWM = ----------------------------------
log ( 2 )

In fast PWM mode the counter is incremented until the counter value matches either one of the
fixed values 0x00FF, 0x01FF, or 0x03FF (WGMn3:0 = 5, 6, or 7), the value in ICRn
(WGMn3:0 = 14), or the value in OCRnA (WGMn3:0 = 15). The counter is then cleared at the
following timer clock cycle. The timing diagram for the fast PWM mode is shown in Figure 52.
The figure shows fast PWM mode when OCRnA or ICRn is used to define TOP. The TCNTn
value is in the timing diagram shown as a histogram for illustrating the single-slope operation.
The diagram includes non-inverted and inverted PWM outputs. The small horizontal line marks
on the TCNTn slopes represent compare matches between OCRnx and TCNTn. The OCnx
interrupt flag will be set when a compare match occurs.

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Figure 52. Fast PWM Mode, Timing Diagram

OCRnx / TOP Update
and TOVn Interrupt Flag
Set and OCnA Interrupt
Flag Set or ICFn
Interrupt Flag Set
(Interrupt on TOP)

TCNTn

OCnx (COMnx1:0 = 2)

OCnx (COMnx1:0 = 3)

Period 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

The Timer/Counter Overflow Flag (TOVn) is set each time the counter reaches TOP. In addition
the OCnA or ICFn flag is set at the same timer clock cycle as TOVn is set when either OCRnA or
ICRn is used for defining the TOP value. If one of the interrupts are enabled, the interrupt han-
dler routine can be used for updating the TOP and compare values.
When changing the TOP value the program must ensure that the new TOP value is higher or
equal to the value of all of the compare registers. If the TOP value is lower than any of the com-
pare registers, a compare match will never occur between the TCNTn and the OCRnx. Note that
when using fixed TOP values the unused bits are masked to zero when any of the OCRnx Reg-
isters are written.
The procedure for updating ICRn differs from updating OCRnA when used for defining the TOP
value. The ICRn Register is not double buffered. This means that if ICRn is changed to a low
value when the counter is running with none or a low prescaler value, there is a risk that the new
ICRn value written is lower than the current value of TCNTn. The result will then be that the
counter will miss the compare match at the TOP value. The counter will then have to count to the
MAX value (0xFFFF) and wrap around starting at 0x0000 before the compare match can occur.
The OCRnA Register however, is double buffered. This feature allows the OCRnA I/O location
to be written anytime. When the OCRnA I/O location is written the value written will be put into
the OCRnA buffer Register. The OCRnA Compare Register will then be updated with the value
in the buffer register at the next timer clock cycle the TCNTn matches TOP. The update is done
at the same timer clock cycle as the TCNTn is cleared and the TOVn flag is set.
Using the ICRn Register for defining TOP works well when using fixed TOP values. By using
ICRn, the OCRnA Register is free to be used for generating a PWM output on OCnA. However,
if the base PWM frequency is actively changed (by changing the TOP value), using the OCRnA
as TOP is clearly a better choice due to its double buffer feature.
In fast PWM mode, the compare units allow generation of PWM waveforms on the OCnx pins.
Setting the COMnx1:0 bits to 2 will produce a non-inverted PWM and an inverted PWM output
can be generated by setting the COMnx1:0 to 3 (See Table 59 on page 133). The actual OCnx
value will only be visible on the port pin if the data direction for the port pin is set as output
(DDR_OCnx). The PWM waveform is generated by setting (or clearing) the OCnx Register at
the compare match between OCRnx and TCNTn, and clearing (or setting) the OCnx Register at
the timer clock cycle the counter is cleared (changes from TOP to BOTTOM).

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The PWM frequency for the output can be calculated by the following equation:
f clk_I/O
f OCnxPWM = ----------------------------------
-
N ⋅ ( 1 + TOP )
The N variable represents the prescaler divider (1, 8, 64, 256, or 1024).
The extreme values for the OCRnx Register represents special cases when generating a PWM
waveform output in the fast PWM mode. If the OCRnx is set equal to BOTTOM (0x0000) the out-
put will be a narrow spike for each TOP+1 timer clock cycle. Setting the OCRnx equal to TOP
will result in a constant high or low output (depending on the polarity of the output set by the
COMnx1:0 bits.)
A frequency (with 50% duty cycle) waveform output in fast PWM mode can be achieved by set-
ting OCnA to toggle its logical level on each compare match (COMnA1:0 = 1). This applies only
if OCRnA is used to define the TOP value (WGMn3:0 = 15). The waveform generated will have
a maximum frequency of fOCnA = fclk_I/O/2 when OCRnA is set to zero (0x0000). This feature is
similar to the OCnA toggle in CTC mode, except the double buffer feature of the output compare
unit is enabled in the fast PWM mode.

Phase Correct PWM The phase correct Pulse Width Modulation or phase correct PWM mode (WGMn3:0 = 1, 2, 3,
Mode 10, or 11) provides a high resolution phase correct PWM waveform generation option. The
phase correct PWM mode is, like the phase and frequency correct PWM mode, based on a dual-
slope operation. The counter counts repeatedly from BOTTOM (0x0000) to TOP and then from
TOP to BOTTOM. In non-inverting compare output mode, the output compare (OCnx) is cleared
on the compare match between TCNTn and OCRnx while counting up, and set on the compare
match while downcounting. In inverting Output Compare mode, the operation is inverted. The
dual-slope operation has lower maximum operation frequency than single slope operation. How-
ever, due to the symmetric feature of the dual-slope PWM modes, these modes are preferred for
motor control applications.
The PWM resolution for the phase correct PWM mode can be fixed to 8-bit, 9-bit, or 10-bit, or
defined by either ICRn or OCRnA. The minimum resolution allowed is 2 bit (ICRn or OCRnA set
to 0x0003), and the maximum resolution is 16 bit (ICRn or OCRnA set to MAX). The PWM reso-
lution in bits can be calculated by using the following equation:
( TOP + 1 )-
R PCPWM = log
----------------------------------
log ( 2 )

In phase correct PWM mode the counter is incremented until the counter value matches either
one of the fixed values 0x00FF, 0x01FF, or 0x03FF (WGMn3:0 = 1, 2, or 3), the value in ICRn
(WGMn3:0 = 10), or the value in OCRnA (WGMn3:0 = 11). The counter has then reached the
TOP and changes the count direction. The TCNTn value will be equal to TOP for one timer clock
cycle. The timing diagram for the phase correct PWM mode is shown on Figure 53. The figure
shows phase correct PWM mode when OCRnA or ICRn is used to define TOP. The TCNTn
value is in the timing diagram shown as a histogram for illustrating the dual-slope operation. The
diagram includes non-inverted and inverted PWM outputs. The small horizontal line marks on
the TCNTn slopes represent compare matches between OCRnx and TCNTn. The OCnx inter-
rupt flag will be set when a compare match occurs.

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Figure 53. Phase Correct PWM Mode, Timing Diagram

OCRnx / TOP Update

and
OCnA Interrupt Flag Set
or ICFn Interrupt Flag Set
(Interrupt on TOP)

TOVn Interrupt Flag Set

(Interrupt on Bottom)

TCNTn

OCnx (COMnx1:0 = 2)

OCnx (COMnx1:0 = 3)

Period 1 2 3 4

The Timer/Counter Overflow Flag (TOVn) is set each time the counter reaches BOTTOM. When
either OCRnA or ICRn is used for defining the TOP value, the OCnA or ICFn flag is set accord-
ingly at the same timer clock cycle as the OCRnx Registers are updated with the double buffer
value (at TOP). The interrupt flags can be used to generate an interrupt each time the counter
reaches the TOP or BOTTOM value.
When changing the TOP value the program must ensure that the new TOP value is higher or
equal to the value of all of the compare registers. If the TOP value is lower than any of the com-
pare registers, a compare match will never occur between the TCNTn and the OCRnx. Note that
when using fixed TOP values, the unused bits are masked to zero when any of the OCRnx Reg-
isters are written. As the third period shown in Figure 53 illustrates, changing the TOP actively
while the Timer/Counter is running in the phase correct mode can result in an unsymmetrical
output. The reason for this can be found in the time of update of the OCRnx Register. Since the
OCRnx update occurs at TOP, the PWM period starts and ends at TOP. This implies that the
length of the falling slope is determined by the previous TOP value, while the length of the rising
slope is determined by the new TOP value. When these two values differ the two slopes of the
period will differ in length. The difference in length gives the unsymmetrical result on the output.
It is recommended to use the phase and frequency correct mode instead of the phase correct
mode when changing the TOP value while the Timer/Counter is running. When using a static
TOP value there are practically no differences between the two modes of operation.
In phase correct PWM mode, the compare units allow generation of PWM waveforms on the
OCnx pins. Setting the COMnx1:0 bits to 2 will produce a non-inverted PWM and an inverted
PWM output can be generated by setting the COMnx1:0 to 3 (See Table 60 on page 133). The
actual OCnx value will only be visible on the port pin if the data direction for the port pin is set as
output (DDR_OCnx). The PWM waveform is generated by setting (or clearing) the OCnx Regis-
ter at the compare match between OCRnx and TCNTn when the counter increments, and
clearing (or setting) the OCnx Register at compare match between OCRnx and TCNTn when

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the counter decrements. The PWM frequency for the output when using phase correct PWM can
be calculated by the following equation:
f clk_I/O
f OCnxPCPWM = ---------------------------
-
2 ⋅ N ⋅ TOP
The N variable represents the prescaler divider (1, 8, 64, 256, or 1024).
The extreme values for the OCRnx Register represents special cases when generating a PWM
waveform output in the phase correct PWM mode. If the OCRnx is set equal to BOTTOM the
output will be continuously low and if set equal to TOP the output will be continuously high for
non-inverted PWM mode. For inverted PWM the output will have the opposite logic values.
If OCnA is used to define the TOP value (WGMn3:0 = 11) and COMnA1:0 = 1, the OCnA Output
will toggle with a 50% duty cycle.

Phase and Frequency The phase and frequency correct Pulse Width Modulation, or phase and frequency correct PWM
Correct PWM Mode mode (WGMn3:0 = 8 or 9) provides a high resolution phase and frequency correct PWM wave-
form generation option. The phase and frequency correct PWM mode is, like the phase correct
PWM mode, based on a dual-slope operation. The counter counts repeatedly from BOTTOM
(0x0000) to TOP and then from TOP to BOTTOM. In non-inverting Compare Output mode, the
output compare (OCnx) is cleared on the compare match between TCNTn and OCRnx while
counting up, and set on the compare match while downcounting. In inverting Compare Output
mode, the operation is inverted. The dual-slope operation gives a lower maximum operation fre-
quency compared to the single-slope operation. However, due to the symmetric feature of the
dual-slope PWM modes, these modes are preferred for motor control applications.
The main difference between the phase correct, and the phase and frequency correct PWM
mode is the time the OCRnx Register is updated by the OCRnx buffer Register, (see Figure 53
and Figure 54).
The PWM resolution for the phase and frequency correct PWM mode can be defined by either
ICRn or OCRnA. The minimum resolution allowed is 2-bit (ICRn or OCRnA set to 0x0003), and
the maximum resolution is 16-bit (ICRn or OCRnA set to MAX). The PWM resolution in bits can
be calculated using the following equation:

( TOP + 1 )-
R PFCPWM = log
----------------------------------
log ( 2 )

In phase and frequency correct PWM mode the counter is incremented until the counter value
matches either the value in ICRn (WGMn3:0 = 8), or the value in OCRnA (WGMn3:0 = 9). The
counter has then reached the TOP and changes the count direction. The TCNTn value will be
equal to TOP for one timer clock cycle. The timing diagram for the phase correct and frequency
correct PWM mode is shown on Figure 54. The figure shows phase and frequency correct PWM
mode when OCRnA or ICRn is used to define TOP. The TCNTn value is in the timing diagram
shown as a histogram for illustrating the dual-slope operation. The diagram includes non-
inverted and inverted PWM outputs. The small horizontal line marks on the TCNTn slopes repre-
sent compare matches between OCRnx and TCNTn. The OCnx interrupt flag will be set when a
compare match occurs.

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Figure 54. Phase and Frequency Correct PWM Mode, Timing Diagram

OCnA Interrupt Flag Set

or ICFn Interrupt Flag Set
(Interrupt on TOP)

OCRnx / TOP Update

and
TOVn Interrupt Flag Set
(Interrupt on Bottom)

TCNTn

OCnx (COMnx1:0 = 2)

OCnx (COMnx1:0 = 3)

Period 1 2 3 4

The Timer/Counter Overflow Flag (TOVn) is set at the same timer clock cycle as the OCRnx
Registers are updated with the double buffer value (at BOTTOM). When either OCRnA or ICRn
is used for defining the TOP value, the OCnA or ICFn flag set when TCNTn has reached TOP.
The interrupt flags can then be used to generate an interrupt each time the counter reaches the
TOP or BOTTOM value.
When changing the TOP value the program must ensure that the new TOP value is higher or
equal to the value of all of the compare registers. If the TOP value is lower than any of the com-
pare registers, a compare match will never occur between the TCNTn and the OCRnx.
As Figure 54 shows the output generated is, in contrast to the phase correct mode, symmetrical
in all periods. Since the OCRnx Registers are updated at BOTTOM, the length of the rising and
the falling slopes will always be equal. This gives symmetrical output pulses and is therefore fre-
quency correct.
Using the ICRn Register for defining TOP works well when using fixed TOP values. By using
ICRn, the OCRnA Register is free to be used for generating a PWM output on OCnA. However,
if the base PWM frequency is actively changed by changing the TOP value, using the OCRnA as
TOP is clearly a better choice due to its double buffer feature.
In phase and frequency correct PWM mode, the compare units allow generation of PWM
waveforms on the OCnx pins. Setting the COMnx1:0 bits to 2 will produce a non-inverted PWM
and an inverted PWM output can be generated by setting the COMnx1:0 to 3 (See Table 60 on
page 133). The actual OCnx value will only be visible on the port pin if the data direction for the
port pin is set as output (DDR_OCnx). The PWM waveform is generated by setting (or clearing)
the OCnx Register at the compare match between OCRnx and TCNTn when the counter
increments, and clearing (or setting) the OCnx Register at compare match between OCRnx and
TCNTn when the counter decrements. The PWM frequency for the output when using phase
and frequency correct PWM can be calculated by the following equation:
f clk_I/O
f OCnxPFCPWM = ---------------------------
-
2 ⋅ N ⋅ TOP
The N variable represents the prescaler divider (1, 8, 64, 256, or 1024).

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The extreme values for the OCRnx Register represent special cases when generating a PWM
waveform output in the phase correct PWM mode. If the OCRnx is set equal to BOTTOM the
output will be continuously low and if set equal to TOP the output will be set to high for non-
inverted PWM mode. For inverted PWM the output will have the opposite logic values.
If OCRnA is used to define the TOP value (WGMn3:0 = 9) and COMnA1:0 = 1, the OCnA Output
will toggle with a 50% duty cycle.

Timer/Counter The Timer/Counter is a synchronous design and the timer clock (clkTn) is therefore shown as a
Timing Diagrams clock enable signal in the following figures. The figures include information on when interrupt
flags are set, and when the OCRnx Register is updated with the OCRnx buffer value (only for
modes utilizing double buffering). Figure 55 shows a timing diagram for the setting of OCFnx.

Figure 55. Timer/Counter Timing Diagram, Setting of OCFnx, no Prescaling

clkI/O

clkTn
(clkI/O /1)

TCNTn OCRnx - 1 OCRnx OCRnx + 1 OCRnx + 2

OCRnx OCRnx Value

OCFnx

Figure 56 shows the same timing data, but with the prescaler enabled.

Figure 56. Timer/Counter Timing Diagram, Setting of OCFnx, with Prescaler (fclk_I/O/8)

clkI/O

clkTn
(clkI/O /8)

TCNTn OCRnx - 1 OCRnx OCRnx + 1 OCRnx + 2

OCRnx OCRnx Value

OCFnx

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Figure 57 shows the count sequence close to TOP in various modes. When using phase and
frequency correct PWM mode the OCRnx Register is updated at BOTTOM. The timing diagrams
will be the same, but TOP should be replaced by BOTTOM, TOP-1 by BOTTOM+1 and so on.
The same renaming applies for modes that set the TOVn flag at BOTTOM.

Figure 57. Timer/Counter Timing Diagram, no Prescaling

clkI/O

clkTn
(clkI/O /1)

TCNTn
TOP - 1 TOP BOTTOM BOTTOM + 1
(CTC and FPWM)

TCNTn
TOP - 1 TOP TOP - 1 TOP - 2
(PC and PFC PWM)

TOVn (FPWM)
and ICFn (if used
as TOP)

OCRnx
Old OCRnx Value New OCRnx Value
(Update at TOP)

Figure 58 shows the same timing data, but with the prescaler enabled.

Figure 58. Timer/Counter Timing Diagram, with Prescaler (fclk_I/O/8)

clkI/O

clkTn
(clkI/O /8)

TCNTn
TOP - 1 TOP BOTTOM BOTTOM + 1
(CTC and FPWM)

TCNTn
TOP - 1 TOP TOP - 1 TOP - 2
(PC and PFC PWM)

TOVn (FPWM)
and ICFn (if used
as TOP)

OCRnx
Old OCRnx Value New OCRnx Value
(Update at TOP)

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 ATmega128

16-bit
Timer/Counter
Register
Description

Timer/Counter1
Control Register A – Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
TCCR1A COM1A1 COM1A0 COM1B1 COM1B0 COM1C1 COM1C0 WGM11 WGM10 TCCR1A
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Timer/Counter3
Control Register A – Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
TCCR3A COM3A1 COM3A0 COM3B1 COM3B0 COM3C1 COM3C0 WGM31 WGM30 TCCR3A
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

• Bit 7:6 – COMn[Link] Compare Output Mode for Channel A

• Bit 5:4 – COMn[Link] Compare Output Mode for Channel B
• Bit 3:2 – COMn[Link] Compare Output Mode for Channel C
The COMnA1:0, COMnB1:0, and COMnC1:0 control the output compare pins (OCnA, OCnB,
and OCnC respectively) behavior. If one or both of the COMnA1:0 bits are written to one, the
OCnA output overrides the normal port functionality of the I/O pin it is connected to. If one or
both of the COMnB1:0 bits are written to one, the OCnB output overrides the normal port func-
tionality of the I/O pin it is connected to. If one or both of the COMnC1:0 bits are written to one,
the OCnC output overrides the normal port functionality of the I/O pin it is connected to. How-
ever, note that the Data Direction Register (DDR) bit corresponding to the OCnA, OCnB or
OCnC pin must be set in order to enable the output driver.
When the OCnA, OCnB or OCnC is connected to the pin, the function of the COMnx1:0 bits is
dependent of the WGMn3:0 bits setting. Table 58 shows the COMnx1:0 bit functionality when
the WGMn3:0 bits are set to a normal or a CTC mode (non-PWM).

Table 58. Compare Output Mode, non-PWM

COMnA1/COMnB1/ COMnA0/COMnB0/
COMnC1 COMnC0 Description
0 0 Normal port operation, OCnA/OCnB/OCnC
disconnected.
0 1 Toggle OCnA/OCnB/OCnC on compare
match.
1 0 Clear OCnA/OCnB/OCnC on compare
match (set output to low level).
1 1 Set OCnA/OCnB/OCnC on compare match
(set output to high level).

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Table 59 shows the COMnx1:0 bit functionality when the WGMn3:0 bits are set to the fast PWM
mode

Table 59. Compare Output Mode, Fast PWM

COMnA1/COMnB1/ COMnA0/COMnB0/
COMnC1 COMnC0 Description
0 0 Normal port operation, OCnA/OCnB/OCnC
disconnected.
0 1 WGMn3:0 = 15: Toggle OCnA on Compare
Match, OCnB/OCnC disconnected (normal
port operation).
For all other WGMn settings, normal port
operation, OCnA/OCnB/OCnC
disconnected.
1 0 Clear OCnA/OCnB/OCnC on compare
match, set OCnA/OCnB/OCnC at BOTTOM,
(non-inverting mode)
1 1 Set OCnA/OCnB/OCnC on compare match,
clear OCnA/OCnB/OCnC at BOTTOM,
(inverting mode)
Note: A special case occurs when OCRnA/OCRnB/OCRnC equals TOP and
COMnA1/COMnB1/COMnC1 is set. In this case the compare match is ignored, but the set or clear
is done at BOTTOM. See “Fast PWM Mode” on page 124. for more details.
Table 59 shows the COMnx1:0 bit functionality when the WGMn3:0 bits are set to the phase cor-
rect and frequency correct PWM mode.

Table 60. Compare Output Mode, Phase Correct and Phase and Frequency Correct PWM
COMnA1/COMnB1/ COMnA0/COMnB0/
COMnC1 COMnC0 Description
0 0 Normal port operation, OCnA/OCnB/OCnC
disconnected.
0 1 WGMn3:0 = 9 or 11: Toggle OCnA on
Compare Match, OCnB/OCnC disconnected
(normal port operation).
For all other WGMn settings, normal port
operation, OCnA/OCnB/OCnC
disconnected.
1 0 Clear OCnA/OCnB/OCnC on compare
match when up-counting. Set
OCnA/OCnB/OCnC on compare match
when downcounting.
1 1 Set OCnA/OCnB/OCnC on compare match
when up-counting. Clear
OCnA/OCnB/OCnC on compare match
when downcounting.
Note: A special case occurs when OCRnA/OCRnB/OCRnC equals TOP and
COMnA1/COMnB1//COMnC1 is set. See “Phase Correct PWM Mode” on page 126. for more
details.

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• Bit 1:0 – WGMn[Link] Waveform Generation Mode

Combined with the WGMn3:2 bits found in the TCCRnB Register, these bits control the counting
sequence of the counter, the source for maximum (TOP) counter value, and what type of wave-
form generation to be used, see Table 61. Modes of operation supported by the Timer/Counter
unit are: Normal mode (counter), Clear Timer on Compare match (CTC) mode, and three types
of Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) modes. (See “Modes of Operation” on page 123.)

Table 61. Waveform Generation Mode Bit Description

WGMn2 WGMn1 WGMn0 Timer/Counter Mode of Update of TOVn Flag
Mode WGMn3 (CTCn) (PWMn1) (PWMn0) Operation(1) TOP OCRnx at Set on
0 0 0 0 0 Normal 0xFFFF Immediate MAX
1 0 0 0 1 PWM, Phase Correct, 8-bit 0x00FF TOP BOTTOM
2 0 0 1 0 PWM, Phase Correct, 9-bit 0x01FF TOP BOTTOM
3 0 0 1 1 PWM, Phase Correct, 10-bit 0x03FF TOP BOTTOM
4 0 1 0 0 CTC OCRnA Immediate MAX
5 0 1 0 1 Fast PWM, 8-bit 0x00FF BOTTOM TOP
6 0 1 1 0 Fast PWM, 9-bit 0x01FF BOTTOM TOP
7 0 1 1 1 Fast PWM, 10-bit 0x03FF BOTTOM TOP
8 1 0 0 0 PWM, Phase and Frequency
ICRn BOTTOM BOTTOM
Correct
9 1 0 0 1 PWM, Phase and Frequency
OCRnA BOTTOM BOTTOM
Correct
10 1 0 1 0 PWM, Phase Correct ICRn TOP BOTTOM
11 1 0 1 1 PWM, Phase Correct OCRnA TOP BOTTOM
12 1 1 0 0 CTC ICRn Immediate MAX
13 1 1 0 1 (Reserved) – – –
14 1 1 1 0 Fast PWM ICRn BOTTOM TOP
15 1 1 1 1 Fast PWM OCRnA BOTTOM TOP
Note: 1. The CTCn and PWMn1:0 bit definition names are obsolete. Use the WGMn2:0 definitions. However, the functionality and
location of these bits are compatible with previous versions of the timer.

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Timer/Counter1
Control Register B – Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
TCCR1B ICNC1 ICES1 – WGM13 WGM12 CS12 CS11 CS10 TCCR1B
Read/Write R/W R/W R R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Timer/Counter3
Control Register B – Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
TCCR3B ICNC3 ICES3 – WGM33 WGM32 CS32 CS31 CS30 TCCR3B
Read/Write R/W R/W R R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

• Bit 7 – ICNCn: Input Capture Noise Canceler

Setting this bit (to one) activates the Input Capture Noise Canceler. When the Noise Canceler is
activated, the input from the Input Capture Pin (ICPn) is filtered. The filter function requires four
successive equal valued samples of the ICPn pin for changing its output. The Input Capture is
therefore delayed by four Oscillator cycles when the noise canceler is enabled.
• Bit 6 – ICESn: Input Capture Edge Select
This bit selects which edge on the Input Capture Pin (ICPn) that is used to trigger a capture
event. When the ICESn bit is written to zero, a falling (negative) edge is used as trigger, and
when the ICESn bit is written to one, a rising (positive) edge will trigger the capture.
When a capture is triggered according to the ICESn setting, the counter value is copied into the
Input Capture Register (ICRn). The event will also set the Input Capture Flag (ICFn), and this
can be used to cause an Input Capture Interrupt, if this interrupt is enabled.
When the ICRn is used as TOP value (see description of the WGMn3:0 bits located in the
TCCRnA and the TCCRnB Register), the ICPn is disconnected and consequently the Input Cap-
ture function is disabled.
• Bit 5 – Reserved Bit
This bit is reserved for future use. For ensuring compatibility with future devices, this bit must be
written to zero when TCCRnB is written.
• Bit 4:3 – WGMn[Link] Waveform Generation Mode
See TCCRnA Register description.
• Bit 2:0 – CSn[Link] Clock Select
The three clock select bits select the clock source to be used by the Timer/Counter, see Figure
55 and Figure 56.

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Table 62. Clock Select Bit Description

CSn2 CSn1 CSn0 Description
0 0 0 No clock source. (Timer/Counter stopped)
0 0 1 clkI/O/1 (No prescaling
0 1 0 clkI/O/8 (From prescaler)
0 1 1 clkI/O/64 (From prescaler)
1 0 0 clkI/O/256 (From prescaler)
1 0 1 clkI/O/1024 (From prescaler)
1 1 0 External clock source on Tn pin. Clock on falling edge
1 1 1 External clock source on Tn pin. Clock on rising edge

If external pin modes are used for the Timer/Countern, transitions on the Tn pin will clock the
counter even if the pin is configured as an output. This feature allows software control of the
counting.

Timer/Counter1
Control Register C – Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
TCCR1C FOC1A FOC1B FOC1C – – – – – TCCR1C
Read/Write W W W R R R R R
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Timer/Counter3
Control Register C – Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
TCCR3C FOC3A FOC3B FOC3C – – – – – TCCR3C
Read/Write W W W R R R R R
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

• Bit 7 – FOCnA: Force Output Compare for Channel A

• Bit 6 – FOCnB: Force Output Compare for Channel B
• Bit 5 – FOCnC: Force Output Compare for Channel C
The FOCnA/FOCnB/FOCnC bits are only active when the WGMn3:0 bits specifies a non-PWM
mode. When writing a logical one to the FOCnA/FOCnB/FOCnC bit, an immediate compare
match is forced on the waveform generation unit. The OCnA/OCnB/OCnC output is changed
according to its COMnx1:0 bits setting. Note that the FOCnA/FOCnB/FOCnC bits are imple-
mented as strobes. Therefore it is the value present in the COMnx1:0 bits that determine the
effect of the forced compare.
A FOCnA/FOCnB/FOCnC strobe will not generate any interrupt nor will it clear the timer in Clear
Timer on Compare Match (CTC) mode using OCRnA as TOP.
The FOCnA/FOCnB/FOCnB bits are always read as zero.
• Bit 4:0 – Reserved Bits
These bits are reserved for future use. For ensuring compatibility with future devices, these bits
must be written to zero when TCCRnC is written.

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Timer/Counter1 –
TCNT1H and TCNT1L Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
TCNT1[15:8] TCNT1H
TCNT1[7:0] TCNT1L
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Timer/Counter3 –
TCNT3H and TCNT3L Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
TCNT3[15:8] TCNT3H
TCNT3[7:0] TCNT3L
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

The two Timer/Counter I/O locations (TCNTnH and TCNTnL, combined TCNTn) give direct
access, both for read and for write operations, to the Timer/Counter unit 16-bit counter. To
ensure that both the high and low bytes are read and written simultaneously when the CPU
accesses these registers, the access is performed using an 8-bit temporary High Byte Register
(TEMP). This Temporary Register is shared by all the other 16-bit registers. See “Accessing 16-
bit Registers” on page 114.
Modifying the counter (TCNTn) while the counter is running introduces a risk of missing a com-
pare match between TCNTn and one of the OCRnx Registers.
Writing to the TCNTn Register blocks (removes) the compare match on the following timer clock
for all compare units.

Output Compare
Register 1 A – Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
OCR1AH and OCR1AL OCR1A[15:8] OCR1AH
OCR1A[7:0] OCR1AL
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Output Compare
Register 1 B – Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
OCR1BH and OCR1BL OCR1B[15:8] OCR1BH
OCR1B[7:0] OCR1BL
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Output Compare
Register 1 C – Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
OCR1CH and OCR1CL OCR1C[15:8] OCR1CH
OCR1C[7:0] OCR1CL
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Output Compare
Register 3 A – Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
OCR3AH and OCR3AL OCR3A[15:8] OCR3AH
OCR3A[7:0] OCR3AL
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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Output Compare
Register 3 B – Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
OCR3BH and OCR3BL OCR3B[15:8] OCR3BH
OCR3B[7:0] OCR3BL
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Output Compare
Register 3 C – Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
OCR3CH and OCR3CL OCR3C[15:8] OCR3CH
OCR3C[7:0] OCR3CL
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

The Output Compare Registers contain a 16-bit value that is continuously compared with the
counter value (TCNTn). A match can be used to generate an output compare interrupt, or to
generate a waveform output on the OCnx pin.
The Output Compare Registers are 16-bit in size. To ensure that both the high and low bytes are
written simultaneously when the CPU writes to these registers, the access is performed using an
8-bit temporary High Byte Register (TEMP). This Temporary Register is shared by all the other
16-bit registers. See “Accessing 16-bit Registers” on page 114.

Input Capture Register

1 – ICR1H and ICR1L Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
ICR1[15:8] ICR1H
ICR1[7:0] ICR1L
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Input Capture Register

3 – ICR3H and ICR3L Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
ICR3[15:8] ICR3H
ICR3[7:0] ICR3L
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

The Input Capture is updated with the counter (TCNTn) value each time an event occurs on the
ICPn pin (or optionally on the Analog Comparator Output for Timer/Counter1). The Input Cap-
ture can be used for defining the counter TOP value.
The Input Capture Register is 16-bit in size. To ensure that both the high and low bytes are read
simultaneously when the CPU accesses these registers, the access is performed using an 8-bit
temporary High Byte Register (TEMP). This Temporary Register is shared by all the other 16-bit
registers. See “Accessing 16-bit Registers” on page 114.

Timer/Counter
Interrupt Mask Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Register – TIMSK OCIE2 TOIE2 TICIE1 OCIE1A OCIE1B TOIE1 OCIE0 TOIE0 TIMSK
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Note: This register contains interrupt control bits for several Timer/Counters, but only Timer1 bits are
described in this section. The remaining bits are described in their respective timer sections.

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• Bit 5 – TICIE1: Timer/Counter1, Input Capture Interrupt Enable

When this bit is written to one, and the I-flag in the Status Register is set (interrupts globally
enabled), the Timer/Counter1 Input Capture interrupt is enabled. The corresponding interrupt
vector (See “Interrupts” on page 59.) is executed when the ICF1 flag, located in TIFR, is set.
• Bit 4 – OCIE1A: Timer/Counter1, Output Compare A Match Interrupt Enable
When this bit is written to one, and the I-flag in the Status Register is set (interrupts globally
enabled), the Timer/Counter1 Output Compare A Match Interrupt is enabled. The corresponding
interrupt vector (See “Interrupts” on page 59) is executed when the OCF1A flag, located in TIFR,
is set.
• Bit 3 – OCIE1B: Timer/Counter1, Output Compare B Match Interrupt Enable
When this bit is written to one, and the I-flag in the Status Register is set (interrupts globally
enabled), the Timer/Counter1 Output Compare B Match Interrupt is enabled. The corresponding
interrupt vector (See “Interrupts” on page 59) is executed when the OCF1B flag, located in TIFR,
is set.
• Bit 2 – TOIE1: Timer/Counter1, Overflow Interrupt Enable
When this bit is written to one, and the I-flag in the Status Register is set (interrupts globally
enabled), the Timer/Counter1 overflow interrupt is enabled. The corresponding interrupt vector
(See “Interrupts” on page 59) is executed when the TOV1 flag, located in TIFR, is set.

Extended
Timer/Counter Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Interrupt Mask – – TICIE3 OCIE3A OCIE3B TOIE3 OCIE3C OCIE1C ETIMSK
Register – ETIMSK Read/Write R R R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Note: This register is not available in ATmega103 compatibility mode.

• Bit 7:6 – Reserved Bits
These bits are reserved for future use. For ensuring compatibility with future devices, these bits
must be set to zero when ETIMSK is written.
• Bit 5 – TICIE3: Timer/Counter3, Input Capture Interrupt Enable
When this bit is written to one, and the I-flag in the Status Register is set (interrupts globally
enabled), the Timer/Counter3 Input Capture Interrupt is enabled. The corresponding interrupt
vector (See “Interrupts” on page 59) is executed when the ICF3 flag, located in ETIFR, is set.
• Bit 4 – OCIE3A: Timer/Counter3, Output Compare A Match Interrupt Enable
When this bit is written to one, and the I-flag in the Status Register is set (interrupts globally
enabled), the Timer/Counter3 Output Compare A Match Interrupt is enabled. The corresponding
interrupt vector (See “Interrupts” on page 59) is executed when the OCF3A flag, located in
ETIFR, is set.
• Bit 3 – OCIE3B: Timer/Counter3, Output Compare B Match Interrupt Enable
When this bit is written to one, and the I-flag in the Status Register is set (interrupts globally
enabled), the Timer/Counter3 Output Compare B Match Interrupt is enabled. The corresponding
interrupt vector (See “Interrupts” on page 59) is executed when the OCF3B flag, located in
ETIFR, is set.

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• Bit 2 – TOIE3: Timer/Counter3, Overflow Interrupt Enable

When this bit is written to one, and the I-flag in the Status Register is set (interrupts globally
enabled), the Timer/Counter3 Overflow Interrupt is enabled. The corresponding interrupt vector
(See “Interrupts” on page 59) is executed when the TOV3 flag, located in ETIFR, is set.
• Bit 1 – OCIE3C: Timer/Counter3, Output Compare C Match Interrupt Enable
When this bit is written to one, and the I-flag in the Status Register is set (interrupts globally
enabled), the Timer/Counter3 Output Compare C Match Interrupt is enabled. The corresponding
interrupt vector (See “Interrupts” on page 59) is executed when the OCF3C flag, located in
ETIFR, is set.
• Bit 0 – OCIE1C: Timer/Counter1, Output Compare C Match Interrupt Enable
When this bit is written to one, and the I-flag in the Status Register is set (interrupts globally
enabled), the Timer/Counter1 Output Compare C Match Interrupt is enabled. The corresponding
interrupt vector (See “Interrupts” on page 59) is executed when the OCF1C flag, located in
ETIFR, is set.

Timer/Counter
Interrupt Flag Register Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
– TIFR OCF2 TOV2 ICF1 OCF1A OCF1B TOV1 OCF0 TOV0 TIFR
Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Note: This register contains flag bits for several Timer/Counters, but only timer 1 bits are described in
this section. The remaining bits are described in their respective timer sections.
• Bit 5 – ICF1: Timer/Counter1, Input Capture Flag
This flag is set when a capture event occurs on the ICP1 pin. When the Input Capture Register
(ICR1) is set by the WGMn3:0 to be used as the TOP value, the ICF1 flag is set when the coun-
ter reaches the TOP value.
ICF1 is automatically cleared when the Input Capture Interrupt vector is executed. Alternatively,
ICF1 can be cleared by writing a logic one to its bit location.
• Bit 4 – OCF1A: Timer/Counter1, Output Compare A Match Flag
This flag is set in the timer clock cycle after the counter (TCNT1) value matches the Output
Compare Register A (OCR1A).
Note that a forced output compare (FOC1A) strobe will not set the OCF1A flag.
OCF1A is automatically cleared when the Output Compare Match A interrupt vector is executed.
Alternatively, OCF1A can be cleared by writing a logic one to its bit location.
• Bit 3 – OCF1B: Timer/Counter1, Output Compare B Match Flag
This flag is set in the timer clock cycle after the counter (TCNT1) value matches the Output
Compare Register B (OCR1B).
Note that a forced output compare (FOC1B) strobe will not set the OCF1B flag.
OCF1B is automatically cleared when the Output Compare Match B interrupt vector is executed.
Alternatively, OCF1B can be cleared by writing a logic one to its bit location.
• Bit 2 – TOV1: Timer/Counter1, Overflow Flag
The setting of this flag is dependent of the WGMn3:0 bits setting. In normal and CTC modes, the
TOV1 flag is set when the timer overflows. Refer to Table 61 on page 134 for the TOV1 flag
behavior when using another WGMn3:0 bit setting.

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TOV1 is automatically cleared when the Timer/Counter1 Overflow interrupt vector is executed.
Alternatively, TOV1 can be cleared by writing a logic one to its bit location.

Extended
Timer/Counter Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Interrupt Flag Register – – ICF3 OCF3A OCF3B TOV3 OCF3C OCF1C ETIFR
– ETIFR Read/Write R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W R/W
Initial Value 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

• Bit 7:6 – Reserved Bits

These bits are reserved for future use. For ensuring compatibility with future devices, these bits
must be set to zero when ETIFR is written.
• Bit 5 – ICF3: Timer/Counter3, Input Capture Flag
This flag is set when a capture event occurs on the ICP3 pin. When the Input Capture Register
(ICR3) is set by the WGM3:0 to be used as the TOP value, the ICF3 flag is set when the counter
reaches the TOP value.
ICF3 is automatically cleared when the Input Capture 3 interrupt vector is executed. Alterna-
tively, ICF3 can be cleared by writing a logic one to its bit location.
• Bit 4 – OCF3A: Timer/Counter3, Output Compare A Match Flag
This flag is set in the timer clock cycle after the counter (TCNT3) value matches the Output
Compare Register A (OCR3A).
Note that a forced output compare (FOC3A) strobe will not set the OCF3A flag.
OCF3A is automatically cleared when the Output Compare Match 3 A interrupt vector is exe-
cuted. Alternatively, OCF3A can be cleared by writing a logic one to its bit location.
• Bit 3 – OCF3B: Timer/Counter3, Output Compare B Match Flag
This flag is set in the timer clock cycle after the counter (TCNT3) value matches the Output
Compare Register B (OCR3B).
Note that a forced output compare (FOC3B) strobe will not set the OCF3B flag.
OCF3B is automatically cleared when the Output Compare Match 3 B interrupt vector is exe-
cuted. Alternatively, OCF3B can be cleared by writing a logic one to its bit location.
• Bit 2 – TOV3: Timer/Counter3, Overflow Flag
The setting of this flag is dependent of the WGM3:0 bits setting. In normal and CTC modes, the
TOV3 flag is set when the timer overflows. Refer to Table 52 on page 104 for the TOV3 flag
behavior when using another WGM3:0 bit setting.
TOV3 is automatically cleared when the Timer/Counter3 Overflow interrupt vector is executed.
Alternatively, TOV3 can be cleared by writing a logic one to its bit location.
• Bit 1 – OCF3C: Timer/Counter3, Output Compare C Match Flag
This flag is set in the timer clock cycle after the counter (TCNT3) value matches the Output
Compare Register C (OCR3C).
Note that a forced output compare (FOC3C) strobe will not set the OCF3C flag.
OCF3C is automatically cleared when the Output Compare Match 3 C interrupt vector is exe-
cuted. Alternatively, OCF3C can be cleared by writing a logic one to its bit location.
• Bit 0 – OCF1C: Timer/Counter1, Output Compare C Match Flag
This flag is set in the timer clock cycle after the counter (TCNT1) value matches the Output
Compare Register C (OCR1C).

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Note that a forced output compare (FOC1C) strobe will not set the OCF1C flag.
OCF1C is automatically cleared when the Output Compare Match 1 C interrupt vector is exe-
cuted. Alternatively, OCF1C can be cleared by writing a logic one to its bit location.

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