Managing single-wire communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016239449-A1
Application number	US-201514621144-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 12, 2015
Priority date	Feb 12, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, methods, circuits and computer-readable mediums for managing single-wire communications. In one aspect, a method includes starting a transmission cycle by transmitting a clock pulse to a single-wire bus, sampling a data bit transmitted from a single-wire device through the single-wire bus within the transmission cycle after the transmission of the clock pulse, and determining whether a sampling period of the sampling is smaller than a sampling threshold for the data bit. In response to determining that the sampling period is not smaller than the sampling threshold, the method further includes determining that the transmitted data bit is an invalid data bit, and in response: transmitting a high logic voltage level pulse to the single-wire bus for timeout and restarting the transmission cycle for retransmission of the data bit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
starting, by a master device, a transmission cycle by transmitting a clock pulse to a single-wire bus, wherein a single-wire device draws power from and communicates with the master device through the single-wire bus; sampling, by the master device and after the transmission of the clock pulse, a data bit transmitted from the single-wire device through the single-wire bus within the transmission cycle; determining, by the master device, whether a sampling period of the sampling is smaller than a sampling threshold for the data bit; and in response to determining that the sampling period is not smaller than the sampling threshold, determining that the transmitted data bit is an invalid data bit, and in response:
transmitting a high logic voltage level pulse to the single-wire bus for timeout; and
restarting the transmission cycle for retransmission of the data bit.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the clock pulse is at a low logic voltage level, the method further comprising:
counting a number of system clock cycles for the transmission of the clock pulse; determining whether the number of system clock cycles is smaller than a threshold number of system clock cycles for the single-wire device, the single-wire device being able to maintain power within the threshold number of system clock cycles.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein sampling a data bit comprises:
in response to determining that the number of system clock cycles is smaller than the threshold number, starting to sample the data bit.

4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the number of system clock cycles is not smaller than the threshold number, transmitting a second high logic voltage level pulse to the single-wire bus for powering up the single-wire device and restarting the transmission cycle.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
starting a second transmission cycle by transmitting a second clock pulse to the single-wire bus; sampling a second data bit transmitted from the single-wire device through the single-wire bus within the second transmission cycle; and determining that a second sampling period of sampling the second data bit is smaller than a second sampling threshold for the second data bit, and in response:
determining that the transmitted second data bit is a valid data bit; and
transmitting, by the master device, an acknowledgement to the single-wire device through the single-wire bus.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the acknowledgement is at a low logic voltage level, the method further comprising:
counting a number of system clock cycles for the transmission of the acknowledgement; and determining whether the number of system clock cycles is smaller than a threshold number of system clock cycles for the single-wire device, the single-wire device being able to maintain power within the threshold number of system clock cycles.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising one of
in response to determining that the number of system clock cycles is smaller than the threshold number, waiting until an end of the second transmission cycle, then starting a sequential transmission cycle for transmission of a sequential data bit, and in response to determining that the number of system clock cycles is not smaller than the threshold number, transmitting a second high logic voltage level pulse to the single-wire bus for powering up the single-wire device and restarting the second transmission cycle for retransmission of the second data bit.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
starting, by the master device, a second transmission cycle by transmitting a second clock pulse to the single-wire bus, the second clock pulse being at a low logic voltage level; counting a number of system clock cycles for the transmission of the second clock pulse; and determining that the number of system clock cycles is smaller than a threshold number of system clock cycles for the single-wire device, the single-wire device being able to maintain power within the threshold number of system clock cycles, and in response:
transmitting, by the master device, a second data bit to the single-wire device through the single-wire bus.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving an acknowledgement from the single-wire device through the single-wire bus; and waiting until an end of the second transmission cycle and then starting a sequential transmission cycle for transmission of a sequential data bit.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining that the single-wire device has not transmitted an acknowledgement within a specified time period after the master device transmits the second data bit, and in response:
transmitting a second high logic voltage level pulse to the single-wire bus for timeout; and
restarting the second transmission cycle for retransmission of the second data bit.

11 . A device comprising:
an interface configure to couple to a single-wire bus and provide a communications signal to a single-wire device through the single-wire bus; a clocking circuit configured to generate a clock pulse for a transmission cycle; a transmitter configured to transmit the clock pulse to the single-wire bus at a start of the transmission cycle; a receiver configured to receive a data bit that is transmitted from the single-wire device through the single-wire bus within the transmission cycle; and a sampling circuit configured to sample the data bit received by the receiver and determine whether a sampling period of sampling the data bit is smaller than a sampling threshold for the data bit, wherein the transmitter is configured to:
in response to determining that the sampling period is smaller than the sampling threshold, transmit an acknowledgement to the single-wire device through the single-wire bus.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the device is configured to, in response to determining that the sampling period is not smaller than the sampling threshold,
transmit a high logic voltage level pulse to the single-wire bus for timeout, and restart the transmission cycle for transmission of the data bit.

13 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the clock pulse is at a low logic voltage level, and wherein the device is configured to:
count a number of system clock cycles for the transmission of the clock pulse; and determine whether the number of system clock cycles is smaller than a threshold number of system clock cycles for the single-wire device, the single-wire device being able to maintain power within the threshold number of system clock cycles.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the device is configured to:
in response to determining that the number of system clock cycles is smaller than the threshold number, start to sample the data bit; and in response to determining that the number of system clock cycles is not smaller than the threshold number, transmit a high logic voltage level pulse to the single-wire bus for powering up the single-wire device and restart the transmission cycle.

15 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the acknowledgement is at a low logic voltage level, and wherein the device is configured to:
count a number of system clock cycles for the transmission of the acknowledgement; and determine whether the number of system clock cycles is smaller than a threshold number of system clock cycles for the single-wire device, the single-wire device being able to maintain power within the threshold number of system cloc

Assignees

• Atmel Corp

Inventors

• Hapke Jeffrey S

Classifications

• G06F13/4027

  using bus bridges (G06F13/4022 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F13/4022

  using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network (G06F13/4009 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F13/385

  for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices · CPC title

• G06F13/4068 Primary

  Electrical coupling · CPC title

• G06F1/12

  Synchronisation of different clock signals {provided by a plurality of clock generators} · CPC title