IP Library Granted Patent US 9,720,872
Granted Patent B2
US 9,720,872 · App. 14/511,602 · Granted Aug 1, 2017

Auto-configuration of devices based upon configuration of serial input pins and supply

Inventors: William David Southcombe (San Diego, CA); Christopher Truong Ngo (Queen Creek, AZ); Joseph Hubert Colles (Bonsall, CA)
Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
G06F13/4221G06F13/4282
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,720,872
App. No.
14/511,602
Granted
Aug 1, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device includes a memory, at least two input/output (IO) pins, and slave identifier (ID) selection circuitry. The memory stores a slave ID, which identifies the device to other devices in a serial communication process. The slave ID selection circuitry changes the stored slave ID based on which one of the IO pins is coupled to a supply voltage. By changing the slave ID of the device based on which one of the IO pins is coupled to a supply voltage, a number of devices with otherwise identical slave IDs may change their slave IDs in order to participate in a serial communication process on the same bus. Further, the slave ID of the device may be changed without using an additional IO pin on the device.

Claims (39)

1. A slave device comprising:

a memory storing a slave identifier (ID), which identifies the slave device to other devices in a serial communication system;

at least two input/output (TO) pins each configured to accept either a supply voltage or a serial communication signal; and

slave ID selection circuitry configured to change the slave ID based on which one of the IO pins is coupled to the supply voltage.

2. The slave device of claim 1 wherein the slave device is powered by the supply voltage delivered via the IO pin coupled to the supply voltage.

3. The slave device of claim 1 further comprising serial communication circuitry configured to use one of the IO pins not coupled to the supply voltage for serial communication.

4. The slave device of claim 1 wherein the slave device comprises at least three IO pins each configured to accept either a supply voltage or a serial communication signal.

5. The slave device of claim 4 further comprising serial communication circuitry configured to use at least two of the IO pins not coupled to the supply voltage for serial communication.

6. The slave device of claim 5 wherein the slave ID selection circuitry is further configured to change the slave ID based on which one of the at least two IO pins used by the serial communication circuitry for serial communication receives a serial communication signal first.

7. The slave device of claim 6 wherein the slave device further comprises at least one general purpose IO (GPIO) pin.

8. The slave device of claim 7 wherein the slave ID selection circuitry is further configured to change the slave ID based on a signal received at the at least one GPIO pin.

9. The slave device of claim 1 wherein the slave device further comprises at least one general purpose IO (GPIO) pin.

10. The slave device of claim 9 wherein the slave ID selection circuitry is further configured to change the slave ID based on a signal received at the at least one GPIO pin.

11. The slave device of claim 1 wherein the slave device includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) tunable filter, RF switching circuitry, and an RF power amplifier (PA).

12. The slave device of claim 11 wherein the one or more of the RF tunable filter, the RF switching circuitry, and the RF PA are powered by the supply voltage delivered via the IO pin coupled to the supply voltage.

13. A serial communication system comprising:

a master device; and

a slave device comprising:

a memory storing a slave identifier (ID), which identifies the device to other devices in the serial communication system;

at least two input/output (TO) pins each configured to accept either a supply voltage or a serial communication signal; and

slave ID selection circuitry configured to change the slave ID based on which one of the IO pins is coupled to the supply voltage.

14. The serial communication system of claim 13 wherein the slave device is powered by the supply voltage delivered via the IO pin coupled to the supply voltage.

15. The serial communication system of claim 13 wherein the slave device further comprises serial communication circuitry configured to use one of the IO pins not coupled to the supply voltage for serial communication.

16. The serial communication system of claim 13 wherein the slave device comprises at least three IO pins.

17. The serial communication system of claim 16 wherein the slave device further comprises serial communication circuitry configured to use at least two of the IO pins not coupled to the supply voltage for serial communication.

18. The serial communication system of claim 17 wherein the slave ID selection circuitry is further configured to change the slave ID based on which one of the at least two TO pins used by the serial communication circuitry for serial communication receives a serial communication signal first.

19. The serial communication system of claim 18 wherein the slave device further comprises at least one general purpose IO (GPIO) pin.

20. The serial communication system of claim 19 wherein the slave ID selection circuitry is further configured to change the slave ID based on a signal received at the at least one GPIO pin.

21. The serial communication system of claim 13 wherein the slave device further comprises at least one general purpose IO (GPIO) pin.

22. The serial communication system of claim 21 wherein the slave ID selection circuitry is further configured to change the slave ID based on a signal received at the at least one GPIO pin.

23. The serial communication system of claim 13 wherein the master device is configured to send a serial communication message to the slave device by providing the slave ID in a serial communication message.

24. The slave device of claim 13 wherein the slave device includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) tunable filter, RF switching circuitry, and an RF power amplifier (PA).

25. The slave device of claim 24 wherein the one or more of the RF tunable filter, the RF switching circuitry, and the RF PA are powered by the supply voltage delivered via the IO pin coupled to the supply voltage.

26. A serial communication system comprising:

a master device; and

a slave device comprising:

a memory storing one or more operating parameters of the slave device;

at least two input/output (IO) pins each configured to accept either a supply voltage or a serial communication signal; and

operating parameter selection circuitry configured to change one or more operating parameters of the slave device based on which one of the IO pins is coupled to the supply voltage.

Assignments (3)
MERGER Recorded Jun 16, 2016
From: RF MICRO DEVICES, INC.
To: QORVO US, INC.
Reel/Frame 039196/0941 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2015
From: COLLES, JOSEPH HUBERT
To: RF MICRO DEVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 035546/0135 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2014
From: SOUTHCOMBE, WILLIAM DAVID; NGO, CHRISTOPHER TRUONG
To: RF MICRO DEVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 034195/0364 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61889293 · Oct 10, 2013
Related Publication 20150106541A1 · Apr 16, 2015