Microchip Technology Inc.

Bruce Negley

John Day

Rick Stoneking

Nathan John

Craig A Filicetti

Shannon Poulin

According to the present invention, a device and method accomplish in-line serial programming of a default configuration into a configurable device for connection to a message-based network. The configurable device includes an input/output unit, an electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), programming logic and a protocol engine for exchanging messages with a message-based bus based on the default configuration. The input/output unit includes pins and logic for configuring a portion of the pins to operate in both a normal mode and as a clock pin, a data pin and a program pin in a programming mode. The electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM) stores a default configuration for the configurable device. The programming logic is coupled to the input/output unit. It receives signals from the data, clock and program pins and determines data and commands based on the signals. The programming logic also executes the commands to program the data, which comprises the default configuration, into the EPROM.

Circuit serial programming of default configuration

A method for allowing flexible multiple access to a serial bus by a plurality of circuit boards. Before a circuit board can be used on a common serial bus with other circuit boards, a unique software address must be assigned to each circuit board. The unique software address is assigned by having a bus master device issue Assign Address commands which utilizes a unique serial number which is stored on each circuit board. The Assign Address command queries each of the circuit boards coupled to the serial bus and assigns a unique software address to each circuit board that fully responds. The Assign Address command is repeated for each circuit board on the serial bus until all of the circuit boards on the serial bus have been assigned a unique software address.

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Bruce Negley