Method and system for enhanced SPI communication

A slave device comprising a serial peripheral interface (SPI) module, further comprising a mode detection circuit configured to detect an SPI operating mode that has been applied by a master device, wherein the slave device is configurable to operate in a first or a second mode depending on the detection of the SPI operating mode as applied by the master device, wherein the slave device is an analog-to-digital converter and the first mode is a conversion mode.

A slave device comprising a serial peripheral interface (SPI) module, further comprising a mode detection circuit configured to detect an SPI operating mode that has been applied by a master device, wherein the slave device is configurable to operate in a first or a second mode depending on the detection of the SPI operating mode as applied by the master device, wherein a second mode is a command mode that allows configuration of the slave device and access to registers of the slave device.

A slave device comprising a serial peripheral interface (SPI) module, further comprising a mode detection circuit configured to detect an SPI operating mode that has been applied by a master device, wherein the slave device is configurable to operate in a first or a second mode depending on the detection of the SPI operating mode as applied by the master device, wherein the slave device is further configurable to operate in a third mode through a logic state on a data output line of the master device, wherein the third mode is a command mode in a Daisy-Chain mode.

A system comprising a master device and a plurality of slave devices coupled in daisy-chain topology with a serial peripheral interface (SPI) module of the master device, wherein each slave device comprises an SPI module and further comprises a mode detection circuit configured to detect an SPI operating mode that has been applied by the master device, wherein each slave device is configurable to operate in a first or a second mode depending on the detection of the SPI operating mode as applied by the master device through a clock signal and a chip select signal.

A method of operating a slave device coupled with a master device through a serial peripheral interface (SPI) module, the method comprising:

• detecting and SPI operating mode by the slave device that has been applied by a master device, wherein the slave device is configurable to operate in a first or a second mode, and
• operating the slave device in the first or second mode depending on the detection of the SPI operating mode as applied by the master device, wherein a first mode is a functional mode wherein a primary function of the slave device is performed and wherein a second mode is a command mode that allows configuration of the slave device and access to registers of the slave device.

A method for operating a system comprising a master device and a plurality of slave devices coupled in daisy-chain topology with a serial peripheral interface (SPI) module of the master device, wherein each slave device comprises an SPI module and further comprises a mode detection circuit configured to detect an SPI operating mode that has been applied by the master device, the method comprising:

• sending signals through the SPI module by the master device that indicate a selected SPI operating mode;
• and
• receiving in Daisy-Chain fashion by each slave device said signals and determining by each slave device to operate in a first or a second mode depending on the detection of the SPI operating mode as applied by the master device.