Address assignment through device ID broadcast

• US 20070294443A1
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weiss, Raphael, Berenbaum, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,631,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/42 Bus transfer protocol, e.g. handshake; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0052 Assignment of addresses or identifiers to the modules of a bus system

Abstract

An address assignment mechanism. A computer system may include one or more types of slave devices. Each slave device includes an internal device ID. Slave devices of the same type include the same internal device ID. The master device may broadcast a message through the use of a protocol to each of the slave devices to initiate an address assignment operation. Each of the slave devices determines whether the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID associated with the slave device. If the broadcast device ID matches the internal device ID, the linear bus address included in the broadcast message is assigned to the slave device. The bit size of the linear bus address may be smaller than that of the broadcast device ID. After the address assignment operation, the master device may communicate with the slave device using the assigned linear bus address rather than the device ID.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of slave devices, each including an internal device ID;

a master device configured to broadcast a message to each of the plurality of slave devices to initiate an address assignment operation, wherein the broadcast message includes at least a broadcast device ID and a linear bus address;

wherein each of the plurality of slave devices are configured to determine whether the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID associated with the slave device; and

wherein, if the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID associated with the slave device, the linear bus address included in the broadcast message is assigned to the slave device.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of slave devices included in the computer system comprise one or more types of slave devices, wherein slave devices of the same type include the same internal device ID.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the broadcast message further includes a protocol header indicating a start of a broadcast transaction, wherein in response to receiving the protocol header each of the plurality of slave devices are configured to read the broadcast device ID to determine whether the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID associated with the slave device.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the master device is configured to broadcast the message through the use of a protocol.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the master device is configured to broadcast the message through the use of a bus protocol.

6. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the master device is configured to broadcast the message through the use of a wireless protocol.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the master device is configured to broadcast the message to each of the plurality of slave devices to determine what type of slave device is each of the plurality of slave devices.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein, if the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID associated with the slave device, the slave device is configured to send an acknowledgement message to the master device to acknowledge assignment of the linear bus address to the slave device.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the master device is configured to communicate with the slave device using the assigned linear bus address.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of slave devices included in the computer system comprise one or more types of slave devices, wherein slave devices of the same type include the same internal device ID, wherein, if the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message does not match the internal device ID associated with the slave devices, the master device is configured to determine that the particular type of slave device associated with the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message is not present in the computer system.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the master device is configured to broadcast a first message to each of the plurality of slave devices, wherein the first broadcast message includes a first broadcast device ID and a first linear bus address, wherein, if the first broadcast device ID included in the first broadcast message does not match the internal device ID associated with any of the plurality of slave devices, the master device is configured to broadcast another message including a different broadcast device ID and the first linear bus address, wherein the master device is configured to continue broadcasting the first linear bus address in subsequent broadcast messages until the first linear bus address is assigned to one of the slave devices.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the bit size of the linear bus address is smaller than the bit size of the broadcast device ID.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein, after the address assignment operation, the master device is configured to address the slave device by using the smaller linear bus address rather than the larger broadcast device ID.

14. A method for performing an address assignment operation in a computer system, the method comprising:

broadcasting a message to each of a plurality of slave devices to initiate an address assignment operation, wherein the broadcast message includes at least a broadcast device ID and a linear bus address;

determining whether the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches an internal device ID included in at least one of the plurality of slave devices; and

wherein, if the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID included in at least one of the plurality of slave devices, assigning the linear bus address included in the broadcast message to the slave device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing the computer system with one or more types of slave devices, wherein slave devices of the same type include the same internal device ID.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising broadcasting the message through the use of a protocol, wherein the broadcast message further includes a protocol header indicating a start of a broadcast transaction.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising broadcasting the message to each of the plurality of slave devices to determine what type of slave device is each of the plurality of slave devices.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising, if the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID included in at least one of the plurality of slave devices, sending an acknowledgement message to acknowledge receipt of the linear bus address.

19. A slave device comprising:

a memory for storing an internal device ID associated with the slave device;

wherein the slave device is configured to receive a message broadcast from a master device to initiate an address assignment operation, wherein the broadcast message includes at least a broadcast device ID and a linear bus address; and

a comparator unit configured to determine whether the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID associated with the slave device;

wherein, if the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID, the linear bus address included in the broadcast message is assigned to the slave device.

20. A master device comprising:

a transmission mechanism configured to broadcast a message to a plurality of slave devices to initiate an address assignment operation, wherein the broadcast message includes at least a broadcast device ID and a linear bus address, wherein the plurality of slave devices each include an internal device ID;

wherein each of the plurality of slave devices are configured to determine whether the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID associated with the slave device;

wherein, if the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID associated with the slave device, the linear bus address included in the broadcast message is assigned to the slave device; and

a receiver mechanism configured to receive an acknowledgement message from the slave device, wherein the acknowledgement message acknowledges assignment of the linear bus address to the slave device if the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID associated with the slave device.

21. A motherboard comprising:

a plurality of slave devices, each including an internal device ID;

an I/O interface controller configured to broadcast a message to each of the plurality of slave devices to initiate an address assignment operation, wherein the broadcast message includes at least a broadcast device ID and a linear bus address;

wherein each of the plurality of slave devices are configured to determine whether the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID associated with the slave device; and

wherein, if the broadcast device ID included in the broadcast message matches the internal device ID associated with the slave device, the linear bus address included in the broadcast message is assigned to the slave device.