Frame Formats
A serial frame is defined to be one character of data bits with synchronization bits (start
and stop bits), and optionally a parity bit for error checking. The USART accepts all 30
combinations of the following as valid frame formats:
•
•
•
•
1 start bit
5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 data bits
no, even or odd parity bit
1 or 2 stop bits
A frame starts with the start bit followed by the least significant data bit. Then the next
data bits, up to a total of nine, are succeeding, ending with the most significant bit. If
enabled, the parity bit is inserted after the data bits, before the stop bits. When a com-
plete frame is transmitted, it can be directly followed by a new frame, or the
communication line can be set to an idle (high) state. Figure 73 illustrates the possible
combinations of the frame formats. Bits inside brackets are optional.
Figure 73. Frame Formats
FRAME
(IDLE)
St
0
1
2
3
4
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[P] Sp1 [Sp2] (St / IDLE)
St
(n)
P
Start bit, always low.
Data bits (0 to 8).
Parity bit. Can be odd or even.
Stop bit, always high.
Sp
IDLE No transfers on the communication line (RxDn or TxDn). An IDLE line must be
high.
The frame format used by the USART is set by the UCSZn2:0, UPMn1:0 and USBSn
bits in UCSRnB and UCSRnC. The Receiver and Transmitter use the same setting.
Note that changing the setting of any of these bits will corrupt all ongoing communica-
tion for both the Receiver and Transmitter.
The USART Character SiZe (UCSZn2:0) bits select the number of data bits in the frame.
The USART Parity mode (UPMn1:0) bits enable and set the type of parity bit. The selec-
tion between one or two stop bits is done by the USART Stop Bit Select (USBSn) bit.
The Receiver ignores the second stop bit. An FE (Frame Error) will therefore only be
detected in the cases where the first stop bit is zero.
Parity Bit Calculation
The parity bit is calculated by doing an exclusive-or of all the data bits. If odd parity is
used, the result of the exclusive or is inverted. The relation between the parity bit and
data bits is as follows:
P
P
= d
= d
⊕ … ⊕ d ⊕ d ⊕ d ⊕ d ⊕ 0
3 2 1 0
even
n – 1
n – 1
⊕ … ⊕ d ⊕ d ⊕ d ⊕ d ⊕ 1
odd
3 2 1 0
Peven Parity bit using even parity
Podd
dn
Parity bit using odd parity
Data bit n of the character
166
ATmega48/88/168
2545D–AVR–07/04
ATMEL [ ATMEL ]
