Nxp B.v.

Jean-Marc Irazabal

Alma Anderson

Amrita Deshpande

Stephen Blozis

Paul Boogaards

Consistent with one example embodiment, communications systems, using a serial data transfer bus having a serial data line and a clock line used to implement a communications protocol, incorporate programming of parallel slave devices concurrently using an I2C serial bus. At least two slave devices are coupled in parallel on the data transfer bus and configured to load serial data over the serial data line using the communications protocol. Each slave device includes a programmable configuration register configured to be programmed, using the communications protocol, to select one of a plurality of selectable slave device configurations. One of the selectable slave device configurations causes the at least two slave devices to load the serial data in parallel, and another of the selectable slave device configurations causes the at least two slave devices to be loaded one at a time.

Programming parallel I2C slave devices from a single I2C data stream

Consistent with one example embodiment, communications systems, using a serial data transfer bus having a serial data line and a clock line used to implement a communications protocol, incorporate programmable loading of a logic value into parallel slave device registers. The communications system includes a slave device having two or more registers, each register having two or more bits, each register configured to load data therein received in accordance with the communications protocol over the data transfer bus in a first configuration, and to load a single logic value into the plurality of bits in a second configuration. A programmable configuration register is configured to be programmed, in accordance with the communications protocol over the data transfer bus, to select two or more of the registers for loading of the single logic value into the two or more of bits of the selected registers in the second configuration.

Simultaneous control of multiple I/O banks in an I2C slave device

Consistent with one example embodiment, a communications system uses an I2C serial data transfer bus that has a serial data line () and a clock line () used to implement a communications protocol. The communications system includes a slave device having address pins (), each coupled to the serial data line, clock line, power line, or ground. Communications circuitry communicates with a master device in accordance with the communications protocol over the data transfer bus. Decoding circuitry detects a first state of the address pins (), detects a second state of the address pins () subsequent to the detection of the first state, wherein one or more logic values of the address pins differ between the first state and the second state, and decodes a slave device address () as a functional relationship between the first state and the second state of the address pins.

Dynamic I2C slave device address decoder

Consistent with one example embodiment, communications systems, using a serial data transfer bus having a serial data line and a clock line used to implement a communications protocol, incorporate identification of inter-integrated circuit slave devices using device identification coding. The communications system includes a slave device having a device identification code identifying one or more parameters. Communications circuitry in the slave device is configured to communicate with a master device on the I2C serial data transfer bus using the communications protocol. In response to a transmission of a device identification address from the master device, the slave device is configured to transmit an ACKNOWLEDGE, and in response to a transmission of a slave device address and the device identification address from the master device, the slave device is configured to transmit the device identification code from the slave device to the master.

Device identification coding of inter-integrated circuit slave devices

Consistent with one example embodiment, communications systems, using a serial data transfer bus having a serial data line and a clock line used to implement a communications protocol, incorporate latched service requests. Methods for one or more slave devices to request service from a master device involve detecting a condition that asserts a request for service signal, at a common node independent from the serial data transfer bus, to a master device of the bus. The request for service is latched it, within the slave, such that the request for service remains asserted regardless of a change in the detected condition. The request for service is de-asserted in response to interrogation of the slave, using the serial data transfer bus, by the master device. Devices may be configured as general purpose Input/Output devices, CODEC arrangements, or other slave devices, and may conform to IC and/or SMBus serial communication specifications.

Slave device with latched request for service

Consistent with one example embodiment, communications systems, using a serial data transfer bus having a serial data line and a clock line used to implement a communications protocol, incorporate programmable loading of a logic value into parallel slave device registers. The communications system includes a slave device having two or more registers, each register having two or more bits, each register configured to load data therein received in accordance with the communications protocol over the data transfer bus in a first configuration, and to load a single logic value into the plurality of bits in a second configuration. A programmable configuration register is configured to be programmed, in accordance with the communications protocol over the data transfer bus, to select two or more of the registers in the second configuration.

Programming parallel 12C slave devices from a single 12C data stream

Consistent with one example embodiment, communications systems, using a serial data transfer bus having a serial data line and a clock line used to implement a communications protocol, incorporate programmable updating of slave device output banks sequentially or simultaneously. The communications system includes two or more slave devices and/or a slave device having two or more banks of output drivers. Each slave device receives serial data and provides a data word assembled from the serial data. A programmable register in each slave device is programmed, using the communications protocol, to select one or more slave device configurations. Each of the two or more slave devices and/or two or more banks of output drivers updates either sequentially, or in coordination with other of the two or more slave devices and/or two or more banks of output drivers, based on each slave devices configuration selected by its programmable register.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Jean-Marc Irazabal