Laptop User Manual
S3C2440A RISC MICROPROCESSOR     UART 
  11-5 
RS-232C interface 
If the user wants to connect the UART to modem interface (instead of null modem), nRTS, nCTS, nDSR, nDTR, 
DCD and nRI signals are needed. In this case, the users can control these signals with general I/O ports by 
software because the AFC does not support the RS-232C interface. 
Interrupt/DMA Request Generation 
Each UART of the S3C2440A has seven status (Tx/Rx/Error) signals: Overrun error, Parity error, Frame error, 
Break, Receive buffer data ready, Transmit buffer empty, and Transmit shifter empty, all of which are indicated by 
the corresponding UART status register (UTRSTATn/UERSTATn). 
The overrun error, parity error, frame error and break condition are referred to as the receive error status. Each of 
which can cause the receive error status interrupt request, if the receive-error-status-interrupt-enable bit is set to 
one in the control register, UCONn. When a receive-error-status-interrupt-request is detected, the signal causing 
the request can be identified by reading the value of UERSTSTn. 
When the receiver transfers the data of the receive shifter to the receive FIFO register in FIFO mode and the 
number of received data reaches Rx FIFO Trigger Level, Rx interrupt is generated. If the Receive mode is in 
control register (UCONn) and is selected as 1 (Interrupt request or polling mode). In the Non-FIFO mode, 
transferring the data of the receive shifter to receive holding register will cause Rx interrupt under the Interrupt 
request and polling mode. 
When the transmitter transfers data from its transmit FIFO register to its transmit shifter and the number of data 
left in transmit FIFO reaches Tx FIFO Trigger Level, Tx interrupt is generated, if Transmit mode in control register 
is selected as Interrupt request or polling mode. In the Non-FIFO mode, transferring data from the transmit holding 
register to the transmit shifter will cause Tx interrupt under the Interrupt request and polling mode. 
If the Receive mode and Transmit mode in control register are selected as the DMAn request mode then DMAn 
request occurs instead of Rx or Tx interrupt in the situation mentioned above. 
Table 11-1 Interrupts in Connection with FIFO 
Type  FIFO Mode  Non-FIFO Mode 
Rx interrupt  Generated whenever receive data reaches the 
trigger level of receive FIFO. 
Generated when the number of data in FIFO does 
not reaches Rx FIFO trigger Level and does not 
receive any data during 3 word time (receive time 
out). This interval follows the setting of Word 
Length bit. 
Generated by the receiving holding 
register whenever receive buffer 
becomes full. 
Tx interrupt  Generated whenever transmit data reaches the 
trigger level of transmit FIFO (Tx FIFO trigger 
Level). 
Generated by the transmitting holding 
register whenever transmit buffer 
becomes empty.  
Error interrupt  Generated when frame error, parity error, or break 
signal are detected. 
Generated when it gets to the top of the receive 
FIFO without reading out data in it (overrun error). 
Generated by all errors. However if 
another error occurs at the same time, 
only one interrupt is generated. 










