The mode of operation (i.e., the behavior of the Timer/Counter and the Output Compare pins) is defined by the combination of the Waveform Generation mode (WGM21:0) and Compare Output mode (COM21:0) bits. The Compare Output mode bits do not affect the counting sequence, while the Waveform Generation mode bits do. The COM21:0 bits control whether the PWM output generated should be inverted or not (inverted or non-inverted PWM). For non-PWM modes the COM21:0 bits control whether the output should be set, cleared, or toggled at a Compare Match (refer to Compare Match Output Unit).
For detailed timing information refer to Timer/Counter Timing Diagrams.