Multi-bit digital input using a single pin
View Patent ↗Electronic devices, and methods, for transmitting, transferring and/or conveying a multi-bit digital signal as a voltage signal via a single pin. Devices and methods according to the invention substantially reduce the pin count of a device because inputting of a multi-bit digital signal preferably does not use more than one input pin. In addition, the speed of transmission is improved because the multi-bit digital signal is transmitted as a voltage signal substantially at one time as opposed to serially.
1. A method of configuring an electronic device using a multi-bit digital address, the multi-bit digital address being encoded as a voltage signal, the method comprising:
receiving the voltage signal at a single input pin of the electronic device;
after the voltage signal is received at the single input pin, converting the voltage signal received at the input pin into the multi-bit digital address based on unequal voltage ranges of a power-to-ground voltage; and
using the multi-bit digital address to identify an address in the electronic device; and
performing an action with the identified address.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing an action with the identified address comprises outputting of a value stored at the identified address to another portion of the electronic device.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing an action with the identified address comprises outputting of a value stored at the identified address to another electronic device.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing an action with the identified address comprises storing a value stored at the identified address on the electronic device.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing an action with the identified address comprises configuring the electronic device to be responsive to an external parameter.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the external parameter is a bus address signal including the multi-bit digital address.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing an action with the identified address comprises configuring the electronic device to act as a memory device.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing an action with the identified address comprises informing the device to be on alert for when instructions are generated on a serial bus.
9. A method comprising:
receiving a voltage signal at a single input pin of an electronic device;
after the voltage signal is received at the single input pin, converting the voltage signal received at the input pin into a multi-bit digital address; and
using the multi-bit digital address to identify an address in the electronic device; and
performing an action with the identified address;
receiving a second multi-bit digital address that has been encoded as a second voltage signal;
converting the second voltage signal to obtain the second multi-bit digital address; and
verifying the second multi-bit digital address by comparing the multi-bit digital address to the second multi-bit digital address.
10. A method comprising:
receiving a voltage signal at a single input pin of an electronic device;
after the voltage signal is received at the single input pin, converting the voltage signal received at the input pin into a multi-bit digital address; and
using the multi-bit digital address to identify an address in the electronic device; and
performing an action with the identified address;
receiving a second voltage signal;
converting the voltage signal into a verification voltage range; and
determining whether the second voltage signal is within the verification voltage range.
11. The method of claim 1 , the converting further comprising converting integrally to the electronic device.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is configured as a voltage monitor.
13. The method of claim 12 , the configuring further comprising configuring the trip points of the voltage monitor using the multi-bit digital address.
14. The method of claim 1 further comprising referencing the converting to a reference value that is substantially equal to a reference value used to encode the multi-bit digital address as the voltage signal.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second multi-bit digital address that has been encoded as a second voltage signal is received at the first input pin.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second multi-bit digital address that has been encoded as a second voltage signal is received at a second input pin.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second voltage signal is received at the first input pin.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second voltage signal is received at a second input pin.
19. A method of configuring an electronic device using a multi-bit digital address, the multi-bit address being encoded as a voltage signal, the method comprising:
receiving multiple inputs of voltage signals at a single input pin of the electronic device;
after the voltage signals are received at the single input pin, converting the voltage signals at the input pin into the multi-bit address based on deriving an average voltage from the multiple input voltage signals and using the average voltage in said conversion;
using the multi-bit digital address to identify an address in the electronic device; and
performing an action with the identified address.