Wired communication with remote function calls

Abstract

Triggered remote function calls can be used in master-slave systems to trigger slave-side software functions pre-loaded by a master into slave MCU memory, with associated parameters pre-loaded into a slave function interface memory. A master issues trigger-function signals (such as rising/falling edges or signal levels) over a trigger-function signal line. The slave includes a trigger conditioning block that in response issues a trigger-function request to the slave MCU, which calls/executes the associated software function, including accessing the associated trigger-function parameters from function interface memory. A slave can include a hardware function block with functionality configurable by a pre-loaded software configuration function (with associated parameters). A master can include a hardware function block configured to issue trigger-function signals. The slave (trigger conditioning block) can be configured to service trigger-function signals as an IRQ (interrupt request) to the MCU, which executes an ISR (interrupt service routine) as a triggered function call.