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8.3.2. External Interrupts
The /INT0 and /INT1 external interrupt sources are configurable as active high or low, edge or level sensi-
tive. The IN0PL (/INT0 Polarity) and IN1PL (/INT1 Polarity) bits in the IT01CF register select active high or
active low; the IT0 and IT 1 bits in TCON (Section “17.1. Timer 0 and Timer 1” on page 187) select lev el
or edge sensitive. The table below lists the possible configurations.
Active low, edge sensitive Active low, edge sensitive
Active high, edge sensitive Active high, edge sensitive
Active low, level sensitive Active low, level sensitive
Active high, level sensitive Active high, level sensitive
/INT0 and /INT1 are assigned to Port pins as defined in the IT01CF register (see SFR Definition 8.11).
Note that /INT0 and /INT0 Port pin assignments are independent of any Crossbar assignments. /INT0 and
/INT1 will monitor their assigned Port pins without disturbing the peripheral that was assigned the Port pin
via the Crossbar. To assign a Port pin only to /INT0 and/or /INT1, configure the Crossbar to skip the
selected pin(s). This is accomplished by setting the associated bit in register XBR0 (see Section
“13.1. Priority Crossbar Decoder” on page 131 for complete details on configuring the Crossbar).
IE0 (TCON.1) and IE1 (TCON.3) serve as the interrupt-pending flags for the /INT0 and /INT1 external
interrupts, respectively. If an /INT0 or /INT1 external interrupt is configured as edge-sensitive, the corre-
sponding interrup t-pendin g flag is automatica lly cleared by th e hardware whe n the CPU vectors to the ISR.
When configured as level sensitive, the interrupt-pending flag remains logic 1 while the input is active as
defined by the corresponding polarity bit (IN0PL or IN1PL); the flag remains logic 0 while the input is inac-
tive. The external interrupt source must hold the input active until the interrupt request is recognized. It
must then deactivate the interrupt request before execution of the ISR completes or another interrupt
request will be generated.
8.3.3. Interrupt Priorities
Each interrupt source can be in dividually pr og rammed to one of two priority levels: low or high. A low prior-
ity interrupt service routine can be pree mpted by a high priority interrupt. A high priority interrupt cannot b e
preempted. Each interrupt has an associated interrupt priority bit in an SFR (IP or EIP1) used to configure
its priority level. Low priority is the defa ult. If two interrupt s are recogn ized simulta neously, the interrupt with
the higher priority is serviced first. If both interrupts have the same priority level, a fixed priority order is
used to arbitrate, given in Table 8.4.
8.3.4. Interrupt Latency
Interrupt response time dep en ds on the state of the CPU when the interrupt occurs. Pending inter rupts are
sampled and priority decoded each system clock cycle. Therefore, the fastest possible response time is 5
system clock cycles: 1 clock cycle to detect the interrupt and 4 clock cycles to complete the LCALL to the
ISR. If an interrupt is pending when a RETI is executed, a single instruction is executed before an LCALL
is made to service t he pe ndin g inte rrupt. T her efor e, the maxim um res pons e time for an interru pt (wh en no
other interrupt is currently being serviced or the ne w interrupt is of greater priority) occurs when the CPU is
performing an RETI instruction followed by a DIV as the next instruction. In this case, the response time is
18 system clock cycles: 1 clock cycle to detect the interrupt, 5 clock cycles to execute the RETI, 8 clock
cycles to complete the DIV instruction and 4 clock cycles to execute the LCALL to the ISR. If the CPU is
executing an ISR for an interrupt with equal or higher priority, the new interrupt will not be serviced until the
current ISR completes, including the RETI and following instruction.
IT0 IN0PL /INT0 Interrupt IT1 IN1PL /INT1 Interrupt
10 10
11 11
00 00
01 01