
2001 Microchip Technology Inc.
Advance Information
DS39541A-page 103
PIC18C601/801
9.0
I/O PORTS
Depending on the device selected, there are up to 9
ports available. Some pins of the I/O ports are multi-
plexed with an alternate function from the peripheral
features on the device. In general, when a peripheral is
enabled, that pin may not be used as a general
purpose I/O pin.
Each port has three registers for its operation. These
registers are:
TRIS register (data direction register)
PORT register (reads the levels on the pins of the
device)
LAT register (output latch)
The data latch (LAT register) is useful for read-modify-
write operations on the value that the I/O pins are driving.
9.1
PORTA, TRISA and LATA
Registers
PORTA is a 6-bit wide, bi-directional port. The corre-
sponding data direction register is TRISA. Setting a
TRISA bit (= 1) will make the corresponding PORTA pin
an input (i.e., put the corresponding output driver in a
Hi-Impedance mode). Clearing a TRISA bit (= 0) will
make the corresponding PORTA pin an output (i.e., put
the contents of the output latch on the selected pin).
On a Power-on Reset, these pins are configured as
analog inputs and read as '0'.
Reading the PORTA register reads the status of the
pins, whereas writing to it will write to the port latch.
Read-modify-write operations on the LATA register,
reads and writes the latched output value for PORTA.
The RA4 pin is multiplexed with the Timer0 module
clock input to become the RA4/T0CKI pin. The RA4/
T0CKI pin is a Schmitt Trigger input and an open drain
output. All other RA port pins have TTL input levels and
full CMOS output drivers.
The other PORTA pins are multiplexed with analog
inputs and the analog VREF+ and VREF- inputs. The
operation of each pin is selected by clearing/setting the
control bits in the ADCON1 register (A/D Control
Register1). On a Power-on Reset, these pins are con-
figured as analog inputs and read as '0'.
The TRISA register controls the direction of the RA
pins, even when they are being used as analog inputs.
The user must ensure the bits in the TRISA register are
maintained set when using them as analog inputs.
EXAMPLE 9-1:
INITIALIZING PORTA
FIGURE 9-1:
RA3:RA0 AND RA5 PINS
BLOCK DIAGRAM
Note:
On a Power-on Reset, PORTA pins
RA3:RA0 and RA5 default to analog inputs.
CLRF
PORTA
; Initialize PORTA by
; clearing output
; data latches
CLRF
LATA
; Alternate method
; to clear output
; data latches
MOVLW
07h
; Configure A/D
MOVWF
ADCON1
; for digital inputs
MOVLW
0CFh
; Value used to
; initialize data
; direction
MOVWF
TRISA
; Set RA3:RA0 as inputs
; RA5:RA4 as outputs
Data
Bus
Q
D
Q
CK
Q
D
Q
CK
QD
EN
P
N
WR LATA
WR TRISA
Data Latch
TRIS Latch
RD TRISA
RD PORTA
VSS
VDD
I/O pin(1)
Note 1: I/O pins have diode protection to VDD and VSS.
Analog
Input
Mode
TTL
Input
Buffer
To A/D Converter and LVD Modules
RD LATA
or
WR PORTA
SS Input (RA5 only)