I2c bridge device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bridge device operable between a master device and a slave device of a communication system, said master device and said slave device arranged for communicating with each other via a parent IC bus and a child IC bus and using the IC protocol, said bridge device comprising—a parent module arranged for connecting said parent IC bus and comprising a parent IC transmitter/receiver device and a parent module state machine, —a child module arranged for connecting said child IC bus and comprising a child IC transmitter/receiver device and a child module state machine, whereby said parent module and said child module each comprise an internal bridge interface to exchange messages between said parent module and said child module, said messages being generated by said parent module state machine or said child module state machine in response to a change of state caused by an event on their respective IC buses, whereby said parent module and said child module are each arranged for translating an IC event to a message and for forwarding said message to the module at the other side of the bridge device via said internal bridge interfaces, said module at the other side being arranged for further transmitting said message as an IC event towards the IC bus at the other side of the bridge device, and whereby said parent module and said child module are further each arranged for holding the communication towards the respective IC bus by stretching a clock line on their respective IC bus until a message, based on an event occurring on the IC bus at the other side of the bridge device and instructing continuation of the communication, is received via said internal bridge interfaces from the module at the other side of the bridge device.