2.4 Ports Port refers to a group of pins on a microcontroller which can be accessed simultaneously, or on which we can set the desired combination of zeros and ones, or read from them an existing status. Physically, port is a register inside a microcontroller which is connected by wires to the pins of a microcontroller. Ports represent physical connection of Central Processing Unit with an outside world. Microcontroller uses them in order to watch over or direct other components or devices. Due to functionality, some pins have twofold roles like PA4/TOCKI for instance, which is simultaneously the fourth bit of port A and an external input for free counter. Selection of one of these two pin functions is done in one of the configurational registers. An illustration of this is the fifth bit T0CS in OPTION register. By selecting one of the functions the other one is disabled. Relationship between TRISA and PORTA register All port pins can be defined as input or output, according to the needs of a device that's being developed. In order to define a pin as input or output pin, the right combination of zeros and ones must be written in TRIS register. If at the appropriate place in TRIS register a logical "1" is written, then that pin is an input pin, and if the opposite is true, it's an output pin. Every port has its proper TRIS register. Thus, port A has TRISA at address 85h, and port B has TRISB at address 86h. PORTB PORTB has 8 pins joined to it. The appropriate register for direction of data is TRISB at address 86h. Setting a bit in TRISB register defines the corresponding port pin as an input pin, and resetting a bit in TRISB register defines the corresponding port pin as the output pin. Each pin on PORTB has a weak internal pull-up resistor (resistor which defines a line to logic one) which can be activated by resetting the seventh bit RBPU in OPTION register. These 'pull-up' resistors are automatically being turned off when port pin is configured as an output. When a microcontroller is started, pull-up's are disabled. Four pins PORTB, RB7:RB4 can cause an interrupt which occurs when their status changes from logical one into logical zero and the other way around. Only pins configured as input can cause this interrupt to occur (if any RB7:RB4 pin is configured as an output, an interrupt won't be generated at the change of status.) This interrupt option along with internal pull-up resistors makes it easier to solve common problems we find in practice like for instance that of matrix keyboard. If rows on the keyboard are connected to these pins, each push on a key will then cause an interrupt. A microcontroller will determine which key is at hand while processing an interrupt It is not recommended to refer to port B at the same time that interrupt is being processed. The above example shows how pins 0, 1, 2, and 3 are declared for input, and pins 4, 5, 6, and 7 for output. PORTA PORTA has 5 pins joined to it. The corresponding register for data direction is TRISA at address 85h. Like with port B, setting a bit in TRISA register defines also the corresponding port pin as an input pin, and resetting a bit in TRISA register defines the corresponding port pin as an output pin. The fifth pin of port A has dual function. On that pin is also situated an external input for timer TMR0. One of these two options is chosen by setting or resetting the T0CS bit (TMR0 Clock Source Select bit). This pin enables the timer TMR0 to increase its status either from internal oscillator or via external impulses on RA4/T0CKI pin. Example shows how pins 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 are declared to be input, and pins 5, 6, and 7 to be output pins.