The UART supports the following
features:
- Programmable baud rate generator
allowing speeds up to 3Mbps
- Separate 8 × 8 transmit (TX) and 8 × 12 receive (RX) first-in first-out (FIFO)
buffers to reduce CPU interrupt service loading
- Programmable FIFO length, including 1-byte deep operation providing conventional
double-buffered interface
- FIFO trigger levels of ¼, ½, ¾.
- Standard asynchronous communication bits for start, stop, and parity
- Line-break generation and detection
- Fully programmable serial
interface characteristics:
- 5, 6, 7, or 8 data
bits
- Even, odd, stick, or no
parity bit generation and detection
- 1 or 2 stop-bit
generation
- FIFO, RX FIFO RX time-out, modem
status, and error conditions
- Standard FIFO-level and
end-of-transmission interrupts
- Efficient transfers using micro
direct memory access controller (μDMA):
- Separate channels for
transmit and receive.
- Receive single request
asserted when data is in the FIFO; burst request asserted at programmed
FIFO level.
- Transmit single request
is asserted when there is space in the FIFO; burst request is asserted
at programmed FIFO level.
- Programmable hardware flow control
- Support for standard IrDA and low
power IrDA modes.
- Provision to combine both TX and RX FIFOs in transmit mode