Single-wire communication method and single-wire communication system

1 . A single-wire communication method for a single-wire communication system having a master device and a plurality of slave devices, wherein the master device and the plurality of slave devices are sequentially connected in series through a single wire therebetween only each pair of devices of the master device and the plurality of slave devices, wherein each of the plurality of slave devices comprises a communication unit and a buffer coupled in parallel, and each of the communication unit and the buffer is coupled between a data input terminal and a data output terminal of a corresponding slave device, the method comprising:

a) sequentially transmitting an addressing command to each of the plurality of slave device by the master device, wherein each of the plurality of slave devices when receiving the addressing command serves as a current slave device;

b) setting an address of the current slave device as address data of the received addressing command when the current slave device has not been addressed;

c) transmitting the received addressing command to a next slave device when the current slave device has been addressed;

d) enabling the buffer such that communication channel between the data input terminal and the data output terminal of the current slave device is turned on when the current slave device finishes being addressed;

e) disabling the buffer such that the communication channel between the data input terminal and the data output terminal of the current slave device remains off when the current slave device does not finish being addressed; and

f) wherein the communication channel passes through the buffer without passing through the communication unit.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after the plurality of slave devices finishes being addressed, coupling a data output terminal of the master device with a data input terminal of each of the plurality of slave devices to perform serial bus communication.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the master device and the plurality of slave devices form a communication link, the plurality of slave devices in the communication link comprises a first slave device, a second slave device, through an (N−1) th slave device and an Nth slave device, wherein N is a positive integer, the method further comprising:

a) after the plurality of slave devices completes being addressed, connecting a data output terminal of the master device to a data input terminal of the first slave device, and connecting the data output terminals of the first slave device to the (N−1) th slave device to the data input terminals of the second slave device to the Nth slave device respectively in the communication link to perform chained serial communication.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling a current slave device to be in a pass-through mode when the current slave device finishes being addressed.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of slave devices comprises a switch that is coupled between a data input terminal and a data output terminal of a corresponding slave device, the method further comprising:

a) controlling the switch to be turned on when the current slave device finishes being addressed; and

b) controlling the switch to remain off when the current slave device does not finish being addressed.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

a) transmitting the received addressing command to the next slave device by the communication unit when the current slave device finishes being addressed; and

b) wherein the communication unit does not transmit the received addressing command to the next slave device when the current slave device does not finish being addressed.

7 . A single-wire communication system, comprising:

a) a master device; and

b) a plurality of slave devices;

c) wherein the master device and the plurality of slave devices are sequentially connected in series through a single wire therebetween only each pair of devices of the master device and the plurality of slave devices;

d) wherein each of the plurality of slave devices comprises a communication unit and a buffer coupled in parallel, and each of the communication unit and the buffer is coupled between a data input terminal and a data output terminal of a corresponding slave device;

e) wherein the master device sequentially transmits an addressing command to each of the plurality of slave device, wherein each of the plurality of slave devices when receiving the addressing command serves as a current slave device;

f) wherein if the current slave device has not been addressed, an address of the current slave device is set as address data of the received addressing command;

g) wherein if the current slave device has been addressed, the received addressing command is transmitted to a next slave device;

h) wherein the buffer is enabled such that communication channel between the data input terminal and the data output terminal of the current slave device is turned on when the current slave device finishes being addressed;

i) the buffer is disabled such that the communication channel between the data input terminal and the data output terminal of the current slave device remains off when the current slave device does not finish being addressed; and

j) wherein the communication channel passes through the buffer without passing through the communication unit.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein after the plurality of slave devices finish being addressed, a data output terminal of the master device is coupled with a data input terminal of each of the plurality of slave devices to perform serial bus communication.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein:

a) the master device and the plurality of slave devices form a communication link, the plurality of slave devices in the communication link comprise a first slave device and a second slave device through an (N- 1 ) th slave device and an Nth slave device, wherein N is a positive integer; and

b) after the plurality of slave devices finish being addressed, a data output terminal the master device is connected to a data input terminal of the first slave device, and data output terminals of the first slave device to the (N−1) th slave device is connected to the data input terminals of the second slave device to the Nth slave device respectively in the communication link to perform chained serial communication.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the current slave device is controlled to be in a pass-through mode when the current slave device finishes being addressed.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein:

a) each of the plurality of slave devices comprises a switch that is coupled between a data input terminal and a data output terminal of a corresponding slave device;

b) wherein the switch is controlled to be turned on when the current slave device finishes being addressed; and

c) the switch is controlled to remain off when the current slave device does not finish being addressed.

12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein:

a) the received addressing command is transmitted to the next slave device by the communication unit when the current slave device finishes being addressed; and

b) the communication unit does not transmit the received addressing command to the next slave device when the current slave device does not finish being addressed.

13 . The system of claim 7 , wherein a data input terminal of the master device is not connected to a data output terminal of a last slave device.

14 . The system of claim 7 , wherein a data input terminal of the master device is connected to the data output terminal of a last slave device.