Read Back Command

The Read Back command, written to Port 43h, latches the count value, programmed mode, and current states of the OUT pin and Null Count flag of the selected counter or counters. The value of the counter and its status may then be read by I/O access to the counter address.

The Read Back command may be used to latch multiple counter outputs at one time. This single command is functionally equivalent to several counter latch commands, one for each counter latched. Each counter's latched count is held until it is read or reprogrammed. Once read, a counter is unlatched. The other counters remain latched until they are read. If multiple count Read Back commands are issued to the same counter without reading the count, all but the first are ignored.

The Read Back command may additionally be used to latch status information of selected counters. The status of a counter is accessed by a read from that counter's I/O port address. If multiple counter status latch operations are performed without reading the status, all but the first are ignored.

Both count and status of the selected counters may be latched simultaneously. This is functionally the same as issuing two consecutive, separate Read Back commands. If multiple count and/or status Read Back commands are issued to the same counters without any intervening reads, all but the first are ignored.

If both count and status of a counter are latched, the first read operation from that counter returns the latched status, regardless of which was latched first. The next one or two reads, depending on whether the counter is programmed for one or two type counts, returns the latched count. Subsequent reads return unlatched count.