Programmable interval timer
A Programmable Interval Timer (PIC) provides one or more counters which trigger an interrupt when they reach their programmed count.
A PICs counters may be one-shot or periodic. One-shot timers interrupt only once, and then stop counting. Periodic timers interrupt every time they reach a specific value.
Counters are usually programmed with fixed increment intervals which determin how long the counter counts before it trigger an interrupt. The interval increments at which a counter may be programmed determine the resolution in time at which the counter may interrupt.
One of the best known PICs is the Intel 8253 family.
See Also
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