Isolation Circuit for Master-Slave Bus Role Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
In data communications over a communications bus, there is a challenge in managing shared peripheral devices and circuit nodes efficiently, particularly in ensuring reliable access, bandwidth, power usage, and security, especially when some nodes are powered down or inactive, and determining which node should control data communications.
Innovation Solution
An isolation circuit is used to facilitate flexibility in assigning a master node, allowing for controlled activation and deactivation of nodes, secure communication, and role switching between master and slave nodes, utilizing minimal-wire buses like I2C, SPI, and CAN, with mechanisms to manage power modes and authorization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple circuit nodes share a communications bus, then bandwidth and resource utilization are improved, but access control and security become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
An isolation circuit is introduced as an intermediary component between circuit nodes and the communications bus. This isolation circuit includes control logic that mediates all access requests to the bus, implementing master node selection, authorization verification, and controlled activation/deactivation functions. The intermediary handles the complexity of access control centrally, allowing multiple nodes to share the bus efficiently while maintaining security and proper protocol management.
2Use of energy by moving object
If circuit nodes can be deactivated to save power, then energy consumption is reduced, but bus access control becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic power management where circuit nodes can be selectively activated or deactivated based on operational requirements. The isolation circuit includes control logic that manages the activation state of each node, allowing nodes to be powered down when not in use to reduce energy consumption while maintaining the ability to activate them when needed for bus communication.
3Reliability
If isolation circuit is introduced to control node access, then security and access control are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The isolation circuit is designed as a modular component that can be integrated into the existing bus architecture. The control logic is segmented into distinct functions including master node selection, authorization verification, and node activation management. This modular segmentation allows the isolation circuit to provide comprehensive security and access control while maintaining a manageable level of complexity through functional decomposition.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects are directed to systems in which control node communicates through a peripheral-side wired communications bus for data communications with other bus-coupled nodes. The control node acts as a master with a main-circuit domain during an initialization mode and when the main-circuit domain is deactivated, and acts as a slave, after completion of the initialization mode and when the main-circuit domain is not deactivated. An isolation circuit is used to isolate the main-circuit domain from the control node and, while the main-circuit domain is deactivated, to facilitate communications over the peripheral-side wired communications bus between the control node and another node connected to the peripheral-side wired communications bus.