ATMEGA325-16AJ ATMEL [ATMEL Corporation], ATMEGA325-16AJ Datasheet - Page 195

• Manufacturer Part Number: ATMEGA325-16AJ
• Description: 8-bit Microcontroller with In-System Programmable Flash
• Manufacturer: ATMEL [ATMEL Corporation]

Starting a Conversion
2570A–AVR–09/04
to Data Registers is blocked. This means that if ADCL has been read, and a conversion
completes before ADCH is read, neither register is updated and the result from the con-
version is lost. When ADCH is read, ADC access to the ADCH and ADCL Registers is
re-enabled.
The ADC has its own interrupt which can be triggered when a conversion completes.
When ADC access to the Data Registers is prohibited between reading of ADCH and
ADCL, the interrupt will trigger even if the result is lost.
A single conversion is started by writing a logical one to the ADC Start Conversion bit,
ADSC. This bit stays high as long as the conversion is in progress and will be cleared by
hardware when the conversion is completed. If a different data channel is selected while
a conversion is in progress, the ADC will finish the current conversion before performing
the channel change.
Alternatively, a conversion can be triggered automatically by various sources. Auto Trig-
gering is enabled by setting the ADC Auto Trigger Enable bit, ADATE in ADCSRA. The
trigger source is selected by setting the ADC Trigger Select bits, ADTS in ADCSRB
(See description of the ADTS bits for a list of the trigger sources). When a positive edge
occurs on the selected trigger signal, the ADC prescaler is reset and a conversion is
started. This provides a method of starting conversions at fixed intervals. If the trigger
signal still is set when the conversion completes, a new conversion will not be started. If
another positive edge occurs on the trigger signal during conversion, the edge will be
ignored. Note that an Interrupt Flag will be set even if the specific interrupt is disabled or
the Global Interrupt Enable bit in SREG is cleared. A conversion can thus be triggered
without causing an interrupt. However, the Interrupt Flag must be cleared in order to trig-
ger a new conversion at the next interrupt event.
Figure 84. ADC Auto Trigger Logic
Using the ADC Interrupt Flag as a trigger source makes the ADC start a new conversion
as soon as the ongoing conversion has finished. The ADC then operates in Free Run-
ning mode, constantly sampling and updating the ADC Data Register. The first
conversion must be started by writing a logical one to the ADSC bit in ADCSRA. In this
mode the ADC will perform successive conversions independently of whether the ADC
Interrupt Flag, ADIF is cleared or not.
If Auto Triggering is enabled, single conversions can be started by writing ADSC in
ADCSRA to one. ADSC can also be used to determine if a conversion is in progress.
ADSC
SOURCE n
ADIF
SOURCE 1
.
.
.
.
ADTS[2:0]
DETECTOR
EDGE
ATmega325/3250/645/6450
ADATE
START
CONVERSION
PRESCALER
LOGIC
CLK
ADC
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