EP1213657A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Dual interface serial bus
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 2001-12-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2021-12-10
Abstract
Abstract An electronic device (400) includes a dual interface serial bus that can support either the I2C or SPI serial interfaces. The device (400) defaults using the I2C serial interface for the transmission and reception of data. However, when the CE line (406) transitions from a logic high to a logic low state, the device (400) automatically reprograms the I/O to support the SPI interface standard. Both interfaces are supported without the use of an additional interface selection pin (308). <IMAGE>
Inventors
- 👤 Reza Tanha
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 14:16
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F13/00; G06F13/38; G06F13/42; G06F13/4282; G06F13/4291
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
87 words
An electronic device capable of operating using either a first
or a second interface protocol, comprising: a clock enable input port for receiving a clock enable signal;
a data port for receiving and transmitting data into and out
of the electronic device; and the electronic device in response to detecting a change in
logic state in the clock enable signal causes the electronic
device to automatically switch from using the first interface
protocol to the second interface protocol in transmitting and
receiving data over the data port.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
30 words
An electronic device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first
interface protocol comprises the I2C serial interface protocol
and the second interface protocol comprises the SPI serial
interface protocol.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
An electronic device as defined in claim 2, wherein the
electronic device automatically switches using the I2C serial
interface protocol and starts using the SPI serial interface
protocol when the electronic device detects that the clock
enable signal goes from a logic high to a logic low condition.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electronic device as defined in claim 3, wherein the
electronic device further comprises a clock signal port for
receiving a clock signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
An electronic device as defined in claim 4, wherein when data
using the SPI serial interface protocol is sent to the data
port at least the first bit of information received is a don't
care bit which gives the electronic device time to switch from
using the I2C to the SPI serial interface protocol.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
An electronic device as defined in claim 1, wherein the
electronic device upon detecting that the clock enable port
has switched back to its original logic state, causes the
electronic device to switch back to using the first interface
protocol when transmitting and receiving data over the data
port.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
An electronic device as defined in claim 1, wherein the
electronic device comprises an integrated circuit (IC).
Claim 8
Independent Claim
92 words
A method for automatically switching the interface protocol
used by an electronic device to transmit and receive data over
a data port, the electronic device having a clock enable port,
the method comprising the steps of: determining if the logic level in the electronic device's
clock enable port has switched logic levels; and switching the interface protocol used by the electronic
device to receive data over the data port from a first to a
second interface protocol if it is determined that the
electronic device's clock enable port has switched logic
levels.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the first interface
protocol comprises the I2C serial interface protocol and the
second interface protocol comprises the SPI serial interface
protocol.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the determining
step comprises detecting that the logic level in the clock
enable port has gone from a logic high to a logic low level.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the clock enable
port can stay at a logic low level for only a predetermined
period of time.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the switching step
also causes the electronic device to switch from the first to
the second interface protocol and use the second interface
protocol for all data transmitted by the electronic device
over the data port.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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