PIC Timer0 Code Generator and Calculator

I needed an easy way to calculate Microchip PIC timer 0 values, so I created the PIC Timer0 Code Generator and Calculator.  If you are not familiar with PIC timers, there is a handy tutorial HERE.

The calculator part, is a spreadsheet which calculates the timings and timer 0 frequency counter needed, given the  required timer (delay). The code generator part, is a Python script which generates the C source code for the PIC microcontroller XC8 compiler.

Here is what the spreadsheet looks like:

Basically, the required timer (i.e. delay) in seconds is specified along with the clock source in Mhz and the prescaler. Optionally a value can be specified for the TMR0 preload to adjust the timing.  All the other values are automatically calculated.  From the example, a 1 second delay is specified with a clock of 4Mhz,  prescaler is 32 and preload is 6.  The calculations show that 125 timer 0 interrupts will take 1 second.

The spreadsheet calculator can be downloaded from HERE.

In these examples, I use the PIC12F675 programmed with a PicKit2 programmer:

PIC Timer0 Code Generator and CalculatorPIC12F675

 

 

 

 

However, even though I use a PIC12F675 for the PIC Timer0 Code Generator and Calculator, it can easily be adapted to any other PIC microcontroller which needs timer 0 calculations. Actually, the spreadsheet part works works for any PIC since it does not generate code. The Python script, which generates code, would only need minor changes for other PIC microcontrollers.

Here is the Python script (gentimer0.py) which generates the C code:

Here is the command to run it:

and here is the resultant output:

The source is complied (via the Microchip XC8 compiler) with this command:

Then use the PicKit2 programmer:

PICKit2 Clone Programmerwith the command:

to send it to the chip.
PIC Timer0 Code Generator and CalculatorNotice, that /opt/microchip/ is where I have installed he XC8 compiler and the PicKit2 software (pk2cmd).  If you have an LED on GPIO pin4, it will blink every 1 second. Basically with this code generator, one has a starting point template to add to. The comments in the code show where to put code to make it more useful.

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