Si1000/1/2/3/4/5
20.3.3. Software Considerations for using the SmaRTClock Timer and Alarm
The SmaRTClock timer and alarm have two operating modes to suit varying applications. The two modes
are described below:
Mode 1:
The first mode uses the SmaRTClock timer as a perpetual timebase which is never reset to zero. Every 36
hours, the timer is allowed to overflow without being stopped or disrupted. The alarm interval is software
managed and is added to the ALRMn registers by software after each alarm. This allows the alarm match
value to always stay ahead of the timer by one software managed interval. If software uses 32-bit unsigned
addition to increment the alarm match value, then it does not need to handle overflows since both the timer
and the alarm match value will overflow in the same manner.
This mode is ideal for applications which have a long alarm interval (e.g. 24 or 36 hours) and/or have a
need for a perpetual timebase. An example of an application that needs a perpetual timebase is one
whose wake-up interval is constantly changing. For these applications, software can keep track of the
number of timer overflows in a 16-bit variable, extending the 32-bit (36 hour) timer to a 48-bit (272 year)
perpetual timebase.
Mode 2:
The second mode uses the SmaRTClock timer as a general purpose up counter which is auto reset to zero
by hardware after each alarm. The alarm interval is managed by hardware and stored in the ALRMn regis-
ters. Software only needs to set the alarm interval once during device initialization. After each alarm, soft-
ware should keep a count of the number of alarms that have occurred in order to keep track of time.
This mode is ideal for applications that require minimal software intervention and/or have a fixed alarm
interval. This mode is the most power efficient since it requires less CPU time per alarm.
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