GPTimer is a dedicated driver for the {IDF_TARGET_NAME} [`Timer Group peripheral <{IDF_TARGET_TRM_EN_URL}#timg>`__]. This timer can select different clock sources and prescalers to meet the requirements of nanosecond-level resolution. Additionally, it has flexible timeout alarm functions and allows automatic updating of the count value at the alarm moment, achieving very precise timing cycles.
Based on the **high resolution, high count range, and high response** capabilities of the hardware timer, the main application scenarios of this driver include:
This section provides a concise overview of how to use the GPTimer driver. Through practical examples, it demonstrates how to initialize and start a timer, configure alarm events, and register callback functions. The typical usage flow is as follows:
When creating a timer instance, we need to configure parameters such as the clock source, counting direction, and resolution through :cpp:type:`gptimer_config_t`. These parameters determine how the timer works. Then, call the :cpp:func:`gptimer_new_timer` function to create a new timer instance, which returns a handle pointing to the new instance. The timer handle is essentially a pointer to the timer memory object, of type :cpp:type:`gptimer_handle_t`.
-:cpp:member:`gptimer_config_t::clk_src` selects the clock source for the timer. Available clock sources are listed in :cpp:type:`gptimer_clock_source_t`, and only one can be selected. Different clock sources vary in resolution, accuracy, and power consumption.
-:cpp:member:`gptimer_config_t::direction` sets the counting direction of the timer. Supported directions are listed in :cpp:type:`gptimer_count_direction_t`, and only one can be selected.
-:cpp:member:`gptimer_config_t::resolution_hz` sets the resolution of the internal counter. Each tick is equivalent to **1 / resolution_hz** seconds.
-:cpp:member:`gptimer_config_t::intr_priority` sets the interrupt priority. If set to ``0``, a default priority interrupt will be allocated; otherwise, the specified priority will be used.
-:cpp:member:`gptimer_config_t::flags` is used to fine-tune some behaviors of the driver, including the following options:
-:cpp:member:`gptimer_config_t::flags::allow_pd` configures whether the driver allows the system to power down the peripheral in sleep mode. Before entering sleep, the system will back up the GPTimer register context, which will be restored when the system wakes up. Note that powering down the peripheral can save power but will consume more memory to save the register context. You need to balance power consumption and memory usage. This configuration option depends on specific hardware features. If enabled on an unsupported chip, you will see an error message like ``not able to power down in light sleep``.
Note that if all hardware timers in the current chip have been allocated, :cpp:func:`gptimer_new_timer` will return the :c:macro:`ESP_ERR_NOT_FOUND` error.
Before starting the timer, it must be enabled. The enable function :cpp:func:`gptimer_enable` can switch the internal state machine of the driver to the active state, which includes some system service requests/registrations, such as applying for a power management lock. The corresponding disable function is :cpp:func:`gptimer_disable`, which releases all system services.
When calling the :cpp:func:`gptimer_enable` and :cpp:func:`gptimer_disable` functions, they need to be used in pairs. This means you cannot call :cpp:func:`gptimer_enable` or :cpp:func:`gptimer_disable` twice in a row. This pairing principle ensures the correct management and release of resources.
The :cpp:func:`gptimer_start` function is used to start the timer. After starting, the timer will begin counting and will automatically overflow and restart from 0 when it reaches the maximum or minimum value (depending on the counting direction).
The :cpp:func:`gptimer_stop` function is used to stop the timer. Note that stopping a timer does not clear the current value of the counter. To clear the counter, use the :cpp:func:`gptimer_set_raw_count` function introduced later.
The :cpp:func:`gptimer_start` and :cpp:func:`gptimer_stop` functions follow the idempotent principle. This means that if the timer is already started, calling the :cpp:func:`gptimer_start` function again will have no effect. Similarly, if the timer is already stopped, calling the :cpp:func:`gptimer_stop` function again will have no effect.
However, note that when the timer is in the **intermediate state** of starting (the start has begun but not yet completed), if another thread calls the :cpp:func:`gptimer_start` or :cpp:func:`gptimer_stop` function, it will return the :c:macro:`ESP_ERR_INVALID_STATE` error to avoid triggering uncertain behavior.
When a timer is newly created, its internal counter value defaults to zero. You can set other count values using the :cpp:func:`gptimer_set_raw_count` function. The maximum count value depends on the bit width of the hardware timer (usually no less than ``54 bits``).
If the timer is already running, :cpp:func:`gptimer_set_raw_count` will make the timer immediately jump to the new value and start counting from the newly set value.
The :cpp:func:`gptimer_get_raw_count` function is used to get the current count value of the timer. This count value is the accumulated count since the timer started (assuming it started from 0). Note that the returned value has not been converted to any unit; it is a pure count value. You need to convert the count value to time units based on the actual resolution of the timer. The timer's resolution can be obtained using the :cpp:func:`gptimer_get_resolution` function.
In addition to the timestamp function, the general-purpose timer also supports alarm functions. The following code shows how to set a periodic alarm that triggers once per second:
The :cpp:func:`gptimer_set_alarm_action` function is used to configure the timer's alarm action. When the timer count value reaches the specified alarm value, an alarm event will be triggered. Users can choose to automatically reload the preset count value when the alarm event occurs, thereby achieving periodic alarms.
Here are the necessary members of the :cpp:type:`gptimer_alarm_config_t` structure and their functions. By configuring these parameters, users can flexibly control the timer's alarm behavior to meet different application needs.
-:cpp:member:`gptimer_alarm_config_t::alarm_count` sets the target count value that triggers the alarm event. When the timer count value reaches this value, an alarm event will be triggered. When setting the alarm value, consider the counting direction of the timer. If the current count value has **exceeded** the alarm value, the alarm event will be triggered immediately.
-:cpp:member:`gptimer_alarm_config_t::reload_count` sets the count value to be reloaded when the alarm event occurs. This configuration only takes effect when the :cpp:member:`gptimer_alarm_config_t::flags::auto_reload_on_alarm` flag is ``true``. The actual alarm period will be determined by ``|alarm_count - reload_count|``. From a practical application perspective, it is not recommended to set the alarm period to less than 5us.
Specifically, ``gptimer_set_alarm_action(gptimer, NULL);`` means disabling the timer's alarm function.
The :cpp:func:`gptimer_register_event_callbacks` function is used to register the timer event callback functions. When the timer triggers a specific event (such as an alarm event), the user-defined callback function will be called. Users can perform custom operations in the callback function, such as sending signals, to achieve more flexible event handling mechanisms. Since the callback function is executed in the interrupt context, avoid performing complex operations (including any operations that may cause blocking) in the callback function to avoid affecting the system's real-time performance. The :cpp:func:`gptimer_register_event_callbacks` function also allows users to pass a context pointer to access user-defined data in the callback function.
The supported event callback functions for GPTimer are as follows:
-:cpp:type:`gptimer_alarm_cb_t` alarm event callback function, which has a corresponding data structure :cpp:type:`gptimer_alarm_event_data_t` for passing alarm event-related data:
-:cpp:member:`gptimer_alarm_event_data_t::alarm_value` stores the alarm value, which is the target count value that triggers the alarm event.
-:cpp:member:`gptimer_alarm_event_data_t::count_value` stores the count value when entering the interrupt handler after the alarm occurs. This value may differ from the alarm value due to interrupt handler delays, and the count value may have been automatically reloaded when the alarm occurred.
..note::
Be sure to register the callback function before calling :cpp:func:`gptimer_enable`, otherwise the timer event will not correctly trigger the interrupt service.
Triggering One-Shot Alarm Events
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Some application scenarios only require triggering a one-shot alarm interrupt. The following code shows how to set a one-shot alarm that triggers after 1 second:
..code-block:: c
:emphasize-lines:12-13,24
gptimer_handle_t gptimer = NULL;
gptimer_config_t timer_config = {
.clk_src = GPTIMER_CLK_SRC_DEFAULT, // Select the default clock source
.direction = GPTIMER_COUNT_UP, // Counting direction is up
Unlike periodic alarms, the above code disables the auto-reload function when configuring the alarm behavior. This means that after the alarm event occurs, the timer will not automatically reload to the preset count value but will continue counting until it overflows. If you want the timer to stop immediately after the alarm, you can call :cpp:func:`gptimer_stop` in the callback function.
When the timer is no longer needed, you should call the :cpp:func:`gptimer_delete_timer` function to release software and hardware resources. Before deleting, ensure that the timer is already stopped.
After understanding the basic usage, we can further explore more features of the GPTimer driver.
Dynamic Alarm Value Update
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The GPTimer driver supports dynamically updating the alarm value in the interrupt callback function by calling the :cpp:func:`gptimer_set_alarm_action` function, thereby implementing a monotonic software timer list. The following code shows how to reset the next alarm trigger time when the alarm event occurs:
..code-block:: c
:emphasize-lines:12-16
gptimer_handle_t gptimer = NULL;
gptimer_config_t timer_config = {
.clk_src = GPTIMER_CLK_SRC_DEFAULT, // Select the default clock source
.direction = GPTIMER_COUNT_UP, // Counting direction is up
GPTimer can generate various events that can be connected to the :doc:`ETM </api-reference/peripherals/etm>` module. The event types are listed in :cpp:type:`gptimer_etm_event_type_t`. Users can create an ``ETM event`` handle by calling :cpp:func:`gptimer_new_etm_event`.
GPTimer also supports some tasks that can be triggered by other events and executed automatically. The task types are listed in :cpp:type:`gptimer_etm_task_type_t`. Users can create an ``ETM task`` handle by calling :cpp:func:`gptimer_new_etm_task`.
When power management :ref:`CONFIG_PM_ENABLE` is enabled, the system may adjust or disable the clock source before entering sleep mode, causing the GPTimer to lose accuracy.
To prevent this, the GPTimer driver creates a power management lock internally. When the :cpp:func:`gptimer_enable` function is called, the lock is activated to ensure the system does not enter sleep mode, thus maintaining the timer's accuracy. To reduce power consumption, you can call the :cpp:func:`gptimer_disable` function to release the power management lock, allowing the system to enter sleep mode. However, this will stop the timer, so you need to restart the timer after waking up.
Besides disabling the clock source, the system can also power down the GPTimer before entering sleep mode to further reduce power consumption. To achieve this, set :cpp:member:`gptimer_config_t::allow_pd` to ``true``. Before the system enters sleep mode, the GPTimer register context will be backed up to memory and restored after the system wakes up. Note that enabling this option reduces power consumption but increases memory usage. Therefore, you need to balance power consumption and memory usage when using this feature.
The driver uses critical sections to ensure atomic operations on registers. Key members in the driver handle are also protected by critical sections. The driver's internal state machine uses atomic instructions to ensure thread safety, with state checks preventing certain invalid concurrent operations (e.g., conflicts between `start` and `stop`). Therefore, GPTimer driver APIs can be used in a multi-threaded environment without extra locking.
When the file system performs Flash read/write operations, the system temporarily disables the Cache function to avoid errors when loading instructions and data from Flash. This causes the GPTimer interrupt handler to be unresponsive during this period, preventing the user callback function from executing in time. If you want the interrupt handler to run normally when the Cache is disabled, you can enable the :ref:`CONFIG_GPTIMER_ISR_CACHE_SAFE` option.
Note that when this option is enabled, all interrupt callback functions and their context data **must be placed in internal storage**. This is because the system cannot load data and instructions from Flash when the Cache is disabled.
To improve the real-time responsiveness of interrupt handling, the GPTimer driver provides the :ref:`CONFIG_GPTIMER_ISR_HANDLER_IN_IRAM` option. Once enabled, the interrupt handler is placed in internal RAM, reducing delays caused by potential cache misses when loading instructions from Flash.
However, the user callback function and its context data called by the interrupt handler may still reside in Flash. Cache misses are still possible, so users must manually place the callback function and data in internal RAM, for example by using :c:macro:`IRAM_ATTR` and :c:macro:`DRAM_ATTR`.
As mentioned above, the GPTimer driver allows some functions to be called in an interrupt context. By enabling the :ref:`CONFIG_GPTIMER_CTRL_FUNC_IN_IRAM` option, these functions can also be placed in IRAM, which helps avoid performance loss caused by cache misses and allows them to be used when the Cache is disabled.
- The :ref:`CONFIG_GPTIMER_ENABLE_DEBUG_LOG` option forces the GPTimer driver to enable all debug logs, regardless of the global log level settings. Enabling this option helps developers obtain more detailed log information during debugging, making it easier to locate and solve problems.
Resource Consumption
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Use the :doc:`/api-guides/tools/idf-size` tool to check the code and data consumption of the GPTimer driver. The following are the test conditions (using ESP32-C2 as an example):
- Compiler optimization level set to ``-Os`` to ensure minimal code size.
- Default log level set to ``ESP_LOG_INFO`` to balance debug information and performance.
- Disable the following driver optimization options:
-:ref:`CONFIG_GPTIMER_ISR_HANDLER_IN_IRAM` - Do not place the interrupt handler in IRAM.
-:ref:`CONFIG_GPTIMER_CTRL_FUNC_IN_IRAM` - Do not place control functions in IRAM.
-:ref:`CONFIG_GPTIMER_ISR_CACHE_SAFE` - Do not enable Cache safety options.
**Note that the following data are not exact values and are for reference only; they may differ on different chip models.**
Additionally, each GPTimer handle dynamically allocates about ``100`` bytes of memory from the heap. If the :cpp:member:`gptimer_config_t::flags::allow_pd` option is enabled, each timer will also consume approximately ``30`` extra bytes of memory during sleep to store the register context.
-:example:`peripherals/timer_group/gptimer` demonstrates how to use the general-purpose timer APIs on ESP SOC chips to generate periodic alarm events and trigger different alarm actions.
-:example:`peripherals/timer_group/wiegand_interface` uses two timers (one in one-shot alarm mode and the other in periodic alarm mode) to trigger interrupts and change the GPIO output state in the alarm event callback function, simulating the output waveform of the Wiegand protocol.
:SOC_TIMER_SUPPORT_ETM:- :example:`peripherals/timer_group/gptimer_capture_hc_sr04` demonstrates how to use the general-purpose timer and Event Task Matrix (ETM) to accurately capture timestamps of ultrasonic sensor events and convert them into distance information.
