Specifications
Appendix C - Glossary
File written in the language understood by man and assembler translator. By translating the
source file, we get HEX and LIST files.
Debugging
Error made in writing a program, which error we are not aware of. Errors can be quite simple such
as typing errors, and quite complex such as incorrect use of program language. Assembler will find
most of these errors and report them to '.LST' file. Other errors will need to be searched for by
trying it out and watching how device functions.
ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, FLASH, RAM
Types of memories we meet with microcontroller use. First one can not be erased, what you write
in it once, stays forever, and can not be erased. The second is erasable with UV lamp. Third one
can be erased electrically, using voltage which microcontroller operates on. Fourth one is
electrically erasable, but unlike EEPROM memory it does not have such a great number of cycles
of writing and erasing at memory locations. Fifth one is fast, but it does not hold back the
contents as the previous when there is supply shortage. Thus, program is not stored in it, but it
serves for different variables and inter-results.
Addressing
Determines and designates certain memory locations.
ASCII
Short for "American Standard Code for Information Interchange". It is widely accepted type of
coding where each number and letter have their eight-bit code.
Carry
Transfer bit connected with arithmetic operations
Code
File, or section of a file which contains program instructions.
Byte, Kilobyte, Megabyte
Terms designating amounts of information. The basic unit is a byte, and it has 8 bits. Kilobyte has
1024 bytes, and mega byte has 1024 kilobytes.
Flag
Bits from a status register. By their activation, programmer is informed about certain actions.
Program activates its response if necessary.
Interrupt vector or interrupts
Location in microcontroller memory. Microcontroller takes from this location information about a
section of the program that is to be executed as an answer to some event of interest to
programmer and device.
Programmer
Device which makes it possible to write software in microcontroller memory, thus enabling the
microcontroller to work independently. It consists of the hardware section usually connected with
one of the ports and software section used on the computer as a program.
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