PIC18F2420/2520/4420/4520
Placing the BOR under software control gives the user
the additional flexibility of tailoring the application to its
environment without having to reprogram the device to
change BOR configuration. It also allows the user to
tailor device power consumption in software by elimi-
nating the incremental current that the BOR consumes.
While the BOR current is typically very small, it may
have some impact in low-power applications.
4.4
Brown-out Reset (BOR)
PIC18F2420/2520/4420/4520 devices implement
a
BOR circuit that provides the user with a number of
configuration and power-saving options. The BOR is
controlled by the BORV<1:0> and BOREN<1:0>
Configuration bits. There are a total of four BOR
configurations which are summarized in Table 4-1.
The BOR threshold is set by the BORV<1:0> bits. If BOR
is enabled (any values of BOREN<1:0>, except ‘00’),
any drop of VDD below VBOR (parameter D005) for
greater than TBOR (parameter 35) will reset the device.
A Reset may or may not occur if VDD falls below VBOR
for less than TBOR. The chip will remain in Brown-out
Reset until VDD rises above VBOR.
Note:
Even when BOR is under software control,
the Brown-out Reset voltage level is still
set by the BORV<1:0> Configuration bits;
it cannot be changed in software.
4.4.2
DETECTING BOR
When BOR is enabled, the BOR bit always resets to ‘0’
on any BOR or POR event. This makes it difficult to
determine if a BOR event has occurred just by reading
the state of BOR alone. A more reliable method is to
simultaneously check the state of both POR and BOR.
This assumes that the POR bit is reset to ‘1’ in software
immediately after any POR event. If BOR is ‘0’ while
POR is ‘1’, it can be reliably assumed that a BOR event
has occurred.
If the Power-up Timer is enabled, it will be invoked after
VDD rises above VBOR; it then will keep the chip in
Reset for an additional time delay, TPWRT
(parameter 33). If VDD drops below VBOR while the
Power-up Timer is running, the chip will go back into a
Brown-out Reset and the Power-up Timer will be
initialized. Once VDD rises above VBOR, the Power-up
Timer will execute the additional time delay.
BOR and the Power-up Timer (PWRT) are
independently configured. Enabling the Brown-out
Reset does not automatically enable the PWRT.
4.4.3
DISABLING BOR IN SLEEP MODE
When BOREN<1:0> = 10, the BOR remains under
hardware control and operates as previously
described. Whenever the device enters Sleep mode,
however, the BOR is automatically disabled. When the
device returns to any other operating mode, BOR is
automatically re-enabled.
4.4.1
SOFTWARE ENABLED BOR
When BOREN<1:0> = 01, the BOR can be enabled or
disabled by the user in software. This is done with the
control bit, SBOREN (RCON<6>). Setting SBOREN
enables the BOR to function as previously described.
Clearing SBOREN disables the BOR entirely. The
SBOREN bit operates only in this mode; otherwise it is
read as ‘0’.
This mode allows for applications to recover from
brown-out situations, while actively executing code,
when the device requires BOR protection the most. At
the same time, it saves additional power in Sleep mode
by eliminating the small incremental BOR current.
TABLE 4-1:
BOREN1
BOR CONFIGURATIONS
BOR Configuration
Status of
SBOREN
BOR Operation
BOREN0
(RCON<6>)
0
0
1
0
1
0
Unavailable BOR disabled; must be enabled by reprogramming the Configuration bits.
Available BOR enabled in software; operation controlled by SBOREN.
Unavailable BOR enabled in hardware in Run and Idle modes, disabled during
Sleep mode.
1
1
Unavailable BOR enabled in hardware; must be disabled by reprogramming the
Configuration bits.
DS39631E-page 44
© 2008 Microchip Technology Inc.
MICROCHIP [ MICROCHIP ]
