Serial Bus Slave Self-Addressing by Position for Conflict-Free Setup

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication systems fail to provide a method for assigning a communication address to a slave electronic device and a self-addressable communication system.

Innovation Solution

A method for assigning a communication address to a slave electronic device connected serially downstream of a master electronic device in a serial communication bus, where the communication address is assigned based on the device's position, involving the master applying an address control signal, the slave switching into addressing mode, and storing the received address.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual address assignment is used for slave electronic devices, then address configuration can be performed, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone for large numbers of devices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaddress assignment efficiencyVSAvoidaddress configuration time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The slave electronic devices automatically assign addresses to themselves by detecting their position in the daisy-chain connection. When the master device initiates an address assignment cycle, each slave device sequentially detects the address control signal and stores the assigned address without requiring manual intervention, thereby achieving self-service address configuration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes a daisy-chain physical connection structure beforehand where devices are pre-positioned in sequence. The address assignment process then simply follows this pre-established physical topology, assigning addresses based on the predetermined connection order, which eliminates the need for complex real-time address negotiation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If addresses are assigned sequentially in a daisy-chain configuration, then address conflicts are avoided, but the system requires a structured connection topology

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaddress assignment reliabilityVSAvoidconnection topology requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

All slave electronic devices use the same address detection and storage mechanism regardless of their position in the chain. Each device uniformly monitors the communication bus for the address control signal and stores the received address value, creating a homogeneous addressing approach that simplifies the overall system architecture despite the sequential topology requirement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #33Homogeneity

3Adaptability or versatility

If the master device controls address assignment for all slaves, then centralized address management is achieved, but the communication protocol complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaddress management flexibilityVSAvoidcommunication protocol complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The address assignment function is extracted as a separate, dedicated communication phase distinct from normal data transmission. The master device sends a specific address control signal that triggers the address assignment mode in all slaves, separating the address configuration function from regular communication operations and simplifying the overall protocol structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4645823A1Procedure for assigning a communication address
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 PHOENIX CONTACT GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4645823A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4645823A1 patent drawingFigure 2a
  • EP4645823A1 patent drawingFigure 2b

AI summary

Method (100) for assigning a communication address to a slave electronic device (203) which is serially connected downstream of a master electronic device (201) in a serial communication bus (207a-c), wherein the communication address is assigned depending on a position of the slave electronic device (203) in the serial communication bus (207a-c), wherein the slave electronic device (203) is switchable into an addressing mode, wherein the method (100) comprises: applying (101) an address control signal to the serial communication bus (207a-c) by the master electronic device (201); switching (103) the slave electronic device (203) into the addressing mode in response to the detection of the address control signal on the serial communication bus (207a-c); The master electronic device (201) applies (105) an addressing signal to the serial communication bus (207a-c), wherein the addressing signal includes the communication address;and storing (107) the received communication address as the communication address of the slave electronic device (203) in the serial communication bus (207a-c) by the slave electronic device (203) responding to the reception of the addressing signal via the serial communication bus (207a-c).;