Serial Communication Circuit Slave Selection via Sync Code
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing serial communication systems, such as SPI, face challenges in maintaining reliable communication when connected to host CPUs with either three or four terminals, especially in environments prone to noise, which can lead to communication disruptions and increased manufacturing costs due to the need for multiple terminal configurations.
Innovation Solution
A serial communication circuit that utilizes a synchronization identification code within the input data to determine slave selection, allowing for reliable communication with both three-terminal and four-terminal host CPUs, even in noisy conditions, by neglecting input data during slave selection signal errors and using error flags for error detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the SS terminal is used for slave selection in SPI communication, then communication can be established with four-terminal host CPUs, but communication reliability deteriorates when the SS terminal changes level due to noise in three-terminal configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the slave selection function from the SS terminal signal and implements it through software recognition of a specific identification code pattern in the input data stream. This removes the harmful dependency on the SS terminal's voltage level, which is susceptible to noise, while maintaining compatibility with both three-terminal and four-terminal CPU configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a synchronization identification code as an intermediary mechanism between the CPU and the serial communication circuit. This code, embedded in the input data, serves as a reliable mediator for slave selection and communication initiation, replacing the noisy SS terminal signal while maintaining protocol compatibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple kinds of integrated circuit devices are prepared with different terminal configurations, then compatibility with different host CPUs is improved, but manufacturing complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the serial communication circuit universal by enabling it to operate in both three-terminal and four-terminal modes through a single hardware design. The circuit automatically adapts to the CPU configuration by recognizing the presence or absence of the SS terminal and using the identification code mechanism accordingly, eliminating the need for multiple device variants.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces dynamic adaptability where the serial communication circuit's operating mode is determined at runtime based on the detected CPU configuration and the received identification code. The circuit can dynamically switch between SS-terminal-based selection and identification code-based selection, providing flexibility without requiring multiple fixed configurations.
3Ease of operation
If the SS terminal is fixed to a specific level to enable three-terminal communication, then compatibility with three-terminal CPUs is improved, but communication is immediately disabled when noise causes the SS terminal to change level
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements feedback through the synchronization identification code mechanism. The circuit continuously monitors the input data stream for the identification code pattern, providing feedback that confirms successful slave selection and communication initiation. This feedback-based approach replaces the open-loop SS terminal voltage level detection, making the system resilient to noise-induced level changes.
Data Source
AI summary
A serial communication circuit includes a receiving unit configured to serially receive input data including a command and a synchronization identification code that is different from the command and a determining unit configured to receive the synchronization identification code from the receiving unit and when the synchronization identification code coincides with a slave selection value, to instruct a start of response processing based on the command.