Method And Apparatus For Booting Up Digital Circuit Nodes Coupled To A Single Conductor Current Line

A method of activating an electronic node comprising a single input line and an output line, said method comprising:

• receiving a nominally constant current signal on said single input line;
• drawing power from said nominally constant current signal on said input line with an analog boot-strap circuit after said nominally constant current signal is first started until a threshold voltage is reached;
• activating a main power circuit when said threshold voltage is reached, said main power circuit charging a local capacitor using said nominally constant current signal until a desired charge level is reached on said local capacitor to create a local power supply and then shunting said nominally constant current signal onto said output line;
• and
• operating said electronic node using said local power supply in said local capacitor after said local capacitor is charged to said desired charge level.

A method of activating a plurality of electronic nodes coupled together in series on a single line, said method comprising:

• driving a nominally constant current signal on said single line with a power supply circuit;
• and
• powering up each of said plurality of electronic nodes by having each electronic node implement the steps of
• drawing power from said nominally constant current signal on an input line with an analog boot-strap circuit after said nominally constant current signal is first started until a threshold voltage is reached,
• activating a main power circuit when said threshold voltage is reached, said main power circuit charging a local capacitor using said nominally constant current signal until a desired charge level is reached on said local capacitor to create a local power supply and then shunting said nominally constant current signal onto an output line, and
• operating using said local power supply in said local capacitor after said local capacitor is charged to said desired charge level.