ATtiny48 datasheet(149/266 Pages) ATMEL

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149

8008C–AVR–03/09

ATtiny48/88

15.7.6

Combining Several TWI Modes

In some cases, several TWI modes must be combined in order to complete the desired action.

Consider for example reading data from a serial EEPROM. Typically, such a transfer involves

the following steps:

The transfer must be initiated.

The EEPROM must be instructed what location should be read.

The reading must be performed.

The transfer must be finished.

Note that data is transmitted both from Master to Slave and vice versa. The Master must instruct

the Slave what location it wants to read, requiring the use of the MT mode. Subsequently, data

must be read from the Slave, implying the use of the MR mode. Thus, the transfer direction must

be changed. The Master must keep control of the bus during all these steps, and the steps

should be carried out as an atomical operation. If this principle is violated in a multi master sys-

tem, another Master can alter the data pointer in the EEPROM between steps 2 and 3, and the

Master will read the wrong data location. Such a change in transfer direction is accomplished by

transmitting a REPEATED START between the transmission of the address byte and reception

of the data. After a REPEATED START, the Master keeps ownership of the bus. The following

figure shows the flow in this transfer.

Figure 15-19. Combining Several TWI Modes to Access a Serial EEPROM

15.8

Multi-master Systems and Arbitration

If multiple masters are connected to the same bus, transmissions may be initiated simultane-

ously by one or more of them. The TWI standard ensures that such situations are handled in

such a way that one of the masters will be allowed to proceed with the transfer, and that no data

will be lost in the process. An example of an arbitration situation is depicted below, where two

masters are trying to transmit data to a Slave Receiver.

Master Transmitter

Master Receiver

S = START

Rs = REPEATED START

P = STOP

Transmitted from master to slave

Transmitted from slave to master

SLA+W

ADDRESS

SLA+R

DATA

ATtiny48 Datasheet(PDF) 149 Page - ATMEL Corporation