Timer0 overflow interrupt not working

Question

I try to use the Timer0 of an Arduino Leonardo (ATmega32u) to trigger an interrupt at regular intervals, using plain avr-gcc (not the arduino library). I try to blink the built-in LED as test, but it does not light up.

If I place a PINC=0x80; in the main function, the LED turns up, but not if I do it from the interrupt. What am I doing wrong?

EDIT : The LED turns on with TCCR0B = (1 << CS00);, (no prescaler) or TCCR0B = (1 << CS01) (prescaler /8), but it does not with TCCR0B = (1 << CS00) | (1 << CS02); (prescaler /1024, what I want). At 16MHz CPU frequency the resulting frequency should be more than 15kHz, so I should see it instantly.

Here is my code:

#include <avr/io.h>
#include <avr/interrupt.h>
#include <stdbool.h>
ISR(TIMER0_OVF_vect)
{
 PINC = 0x80;
}
int main()
{
 DDRC = 0b10000000;
 //Start Timer 0 @ 15625 Hz
 TCCR0A = 0;
 TCCR0B = (0b101 << CS00);
 TIMSK0 = (1 << TOIE0);
 sei();
 while(true); // Avoid return from main
}

• jsotola: what research have you done?
• Simon Tagne: @jsotola I read the corresponding chapters of the processor datasheet and googled for a while, but I only found unrelated issues (e.g. using CTC mode or returning from main).
• jsotola: i misread .... deleting my comments .... you can delete yours
• jsotola: then you have to assume that the ISR is never called .....maybe this may help ....... instructables.com/id/Arduino-Timer-Interrupts
• Gerben: Sidenote: 0b101 << CS00 looks like bad code. Personally; I’d use (1 << CS00) | (1 << CS02)

Answer 1

I just found the answer here : https://www.avrfreaks.net/forum/atmega32u4-arduino-leonardo-strange-timer-behavior

It seems that the USB connection generates higher-priority interrupts. I still don't know why the interrupts do work at higher frequency.

Solutions include powering the board from a USB charger or other power source rather than through the computer USB or adding the following code before the interrupt enable :

// Clear usb interrupt flags
USBINT = 0;
UDINT = 0;
for (uint8_t i = 0; i < 6; i++)
{ // For each USB endpoint
 UENUM = i; // select the _i-th endpoint
 UEINTX = UEIENX = 0; // Clear interrupt flags for that endpoint
}

Thanks to those who helped me !

• Simon Tagne: I think the interrupt handler is missing when the bootloader exits, so avr-gcc defaults to reset the board, which might result in higher frequency to switch on the led while at lower frequency the board is reset before the first interrupt.