21 Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART)

The Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART) is a flexible serial communication peripheral used to interface microcontrollers with other equipment, including computers and peripherals. The UART is a full-duplex, asynchronous communication channel that can be used to implement protocols, such as RS-232 and RS-485.

The UART also supports the following hardware extensions:

  • LIN 2.2/J2602
  • IrDA®
  • Digital Multiplex 512 (DMX)
  • Smart Card (ISO 7816)

The primary features of the UART are:

  • Full or Half-Duplex Operation
  • Up to 8-Deep TX and RX First-In First-Out (FIFO) Buffers
  • 8-Bit or 9-Bit Data Width
  • Configurable Stop Bit Length
  • Flow Control
  • Auto-Baud Calibration
  • Parity, Framing and Buffer Overrun Error Detection
  • Address Detect
  • Break Transmission
  • Transmit and Receive Polarity Control
  • Operation in Sleep mode
  • Wake from Sleep on Sync Break Received Interrupt