Design and Development of Software based Waveform Generation using Microcontroller 8051

The paper describes the methodology for precisely generating various conventional waveform using Microcontroller 8051. Several functions e.g. pure sinusoidal, saw-tooth, square, quasi-square and triangular waveforms have been generated over a wide frequency range as per applications. By utilizing the unique architecture and excellent processing capabilities of Microcontroller 8051 including its interfacing with Digital to Analog Converter, the hardware is minimized to a great extent and the desired output wave shapes are digitally controlled to achieve the required waveforms. The control instructions have been written in KEIL software. The Personal Computer based experimental circuit operation has been designed incorporating languages translators via compilation and assembly process. A Microcontroller based system is found to be numerically attractive since it offers increased flexibility, particularly in choosing required frequency among wide range of frequencies. This feature has resulted in reduction of the complex control circuitry, which has been progressively replaced by Microcontroller software. The developed methodology is technically observed feasible to generate wide band frequency waveforms precisely without altering hardware configuration increasing the reliability of software based system design. The hardware implementation has been performed and various types of waveforms have been generated, monitored and presented.