Tutorial 13b: Interfacing the Comparator A+ and Timer A Modules

The idea behind the capacitance meter is simple, but (as may be evidenced in part by the time it took me to get to this) there are some particulars that need to be resolved.

First: how do we minimize any delay in the timing due to delays from carrying out instructions? If we're not careful, a non-negligible amount of time can pass between when we start the capacitor discharge and the timer, or between the comparator trigger and the timer capture.

Second: how do we determine what capacitances can be measured for a given configuration? Smaller capacitors will discharge more quickly, leading to shorter measurement times (meaning more error due to the digital nature of the timer). Larger capacitors take more time to charge up, and may not be fully charged when we start discharging.

The first issue is easily resolved by using features built into the Timer_A module. The second is less easily resolved, but easily understood, so we will know in advance the limitations of our code. There are a couple of things we'll be able to do to improve it generally, but for our purposes here we won't be too concerned about it.

New Feature of the Timer_A Module: Output

Let's introduce here two features in Timer_A we haven't used yet. First off, let's look at how we can use the timer to change an output. Recall that the Timer_A module has a certain number of "capture/compare" registers built into each MSP430 device. (The G2211 and G2231 have two.) Each of these registers can drive their own output; we can program the MSP430 to adjust the output every time the timer reaches the value stored in the register. For example, we can set the output TA0.1 to set the output (to 1, that is) every time the timer reaches the value set in TACCR1. Or we can toggle the output TA0.0 every time the timer reaches the value set in TACCR0. We also have modes that allow us to use both registers on the same output, giving one result at TACCR1 and another at TACCR0. (This ability is used for pulse width modulation, or PWM. We'll talk about that in an upcoming tutorial!)

Take a look at table 12-2 in you x2xx Family User's Guide:

This table lists all of the possible modes we can use to work with the timer outputs.

New Feature of the Timer_A Module: Capture

So far we have only discussed uses of the timer in compare mode. The other mode, capturing, can be used to do precise timing of events. In capture mode, the timer records the value in TAR into TACCRx at the moment when the capture is triggered. This trigger can come externally, or it can come from internal connections to other modules, including the comparator. By configuring the timer in this way, we can record the timer value when the comparator output provides either a rising edge (going from 0 to 1) or a falling edge (from 1 to 0).

Putting It All Together

Here's the general concept used in the capacitance meter. Note that accurate timing requires a calibrated clock, so we'll use the calibrated 1 MHz DCO for this project. First, we connect the resistor to a timer output. (For this purpose, we'll use the TA0.0 output.) The junction between the resistor and capacitor is tied to a comparator input, and the other end of the capacitor is connected to ground. We start charging the capacitor by setting TA0.0, and wait some specified amount of time for the capacitor to charge. The output is then reset (grounded) at the time specified in TACCR0. While the capacitor's voltage is above the reference voltage, the output is set at 1 (assuming we tied the RC circuit to V+ and the reference to V-). When it drops below that value, the comparator output falls, triggering a capture in the timer, recorded in TACCR1. The difference in time between TACCR1 and TACCR0 is an accurate measurement of the decay time of the RC circuit from Vcc to Vref. (Note that if TACCR0 is 0, no subtraction is needed.)

Obviously the longer the time it takes to fall, the more accurate our timing measurement will be overall. But what happens if the time is longer than 2^16 microseconds? TAR rolls over, and starts counting over again; so in our code, we'll need to account for any rollovers that may occur.

Let's examine the comparator configuration used in the code:

void CAinit(void) {
    CACTL1 = CARSEL + CAREF_1;  // 0.25 Vcc ref on - pin.
    CACTL2 = P2CA4 + CAF;       // Input CA1 on + pin, filter output.
    CAPD = AIN1;                // disable digital I/O on P1.1 (technically
                                // this step is redundant)
} // CAinit

This sets up the comparator to use CA1 on the V+ input. If you check the MSP430G2211 datasheet, CA1 is connected to P1.1. Looking up the register description in the Family User's Guide, we configure for CA1 on V+ by setting P2CA4. (P2CA0 also controls V+, and for CA1 should be clear.)

Now let's look at the timer configuration:

void TAinit(void) {

    TACTL = TASSEL_2 + ID_0 + MC_0;     // Use SMCLK (1 MHz Calibrated), no division,

                                        // stopped mode

    TACCTL0 = OUTMOD_1 + CCIE;          // TA0 sets VCTL at TACCR0

    TACCTL1 = CCIS_1 + SCS + CAP + CCIE;       // Use CAOUT for input, synchronize, set to 

                                        // capture mode, enable interrupt for TA1.

                                        // NOTE: Capturing mode not started.

} // TAinit

The timer is set up without starting. Setting TACCTL0 to OUTMOD_1 sets the output TA0.0 when TAR reaches TACCR0, which is 0 by default. Enabling the interrupt lets us keep track of overflows. In TACCTL1, we change to capture mode by setting CAP. To know how to connect the comparator, we need to check the device datasheet. Find the table called "TIMER_A2 SIGNAL CONNECTIONS" and make sure you're looking at the one specific to devices with COMP_A+. In the Device Input Signal column, find CAOUT (internal), and note the Module Input Name in the column next to it: CCI1B. The CCISx bits in TACCTLx select the input, and in the Family User's Guide, we see that these two bits should be set to 0b01 to select CCIxB. In the device's header file, we find that we can set these bits with CCIS_1.

Also note that by setting SCS, we synchronize the capture to the timer clock. We haven't started capturing yet, just as we haven't started the timer. The code is set up to wait for the user to push the button connected to P1.3. Doing so exits LPM0, and continues the main code. The following then happens:

First, the timer is turned on. When the timer rolls over the first time, TA0.0 (on P1.5 in this code) is set, charging the capacitor. We want to wait long enough for the capacitor to charge. The code is set to wait for 10 overflows, which corresponds to about 655 ms. At this point, the comparator is turned on, and the timer is configured to reset TA0.0 at the next overflow (so we've actually charged for 11 overflows at this point). We let the timer capture the next event, or when the voltage at the capacitor (on P1.1/CA1) drops to the value at Vref, or 1/4 Vcc. At this point, an interrupt is triggered. The interrupt routine turns off the captures and the timer and returns to the main code. The code loops back, and starts the process again, waiting for the user to press the button to start a measurement.

Note: Before running the code as set up, keep in mind we're using P1.1; what else is this pin used for? You'll want to remove the TXD jumper to get the project to work properly. Thanks to RobG over at www.43oh.com for pointing this out to me... I was really puzzled by it for an embarrassingly long time!

Try running the code found in CMeterG2211.c. To do this, you'll need a resistor and a capacitor. Use a 10 kO resistor and a 100 nF capacitor (it will have a label that says 104 on it) if you can. In the debugger, set the code to run freely, and push the button. The led should switch from green to red, then back to green, indicating the measurement is done. The timer has captured the event and recorded the time in TACCR1. Unfortunately, there's no way to see this as is yet! Pause the debugger, and examine the timer_a2 registers. The time is recorded in TACCR1. For the suggests RC combination, you should have a value somewhere around 1400. (You can change from the default hex format to decimal by right-clicking the register and selecting decimal in the format menu.)

Try increasing R to 100 kO. You should see the time increase by a factor of 10. Try using a 1 uF capacitor. (You might need to increase the number of overflows to wait while charging to get something accurate here.) In the watch window, we can view the value in the overflows variable. To do this, click where the window says , and type in the variable name. With such a large capacitor, you should see the number of times the timer wrapped around before stopping. With the measured time and the known resistor value, you should be able to use the formula provided in the previous tutorial to calculate the value of the capacitor. Feel free to experiment with this program. In particular, how consistent are your timing measurements?

Aside from the lack of ability to see the timer value without using the debugger, there are a few issues to work out still in this meter. We'll take a careful look at some of these in the future, and bring back this code to demonstrate ways we can see data and ways we can improve the timer.

Reader Exercise: Given the discussion in the previous tutorial about the accuracy of the meter, and from your own experimentation with the program, where are the major sources of error in the measurement? How consistent is the timing? What might cause the inconsistency? What assumptions have we made in the way we measure the capacitance? Once you've built an instrument to make any kind of scientific measurement, it's important to identify all of these aspects. By doing so, we identify the limitations of the instrument, both those we can fix and those we have to live with.