I2C bus switching devices interspersed between I2C devices

A bus for use in connecting electronic components, comprising:

• a bus driver coupled to a bus;
• a plurality of devices coupled serially to said bus;
• a plurality of bus switch modules coupled to said bus interspersed between ones of said plurality of devices;
• each one of said plurality of devices being separated serially on said bus from others of said plurality of devices utilizing ones of said plurality of bus switch modules;
• each of the plurality of bus switch modules including:
• a control unit with an input for receiving instructions from said bus driver;
• and
• a switch with a first and a second data connection which connect the switch to a first and a second segment of said bus;
• wherein
• the control unit opens and closes the switch in response to instructions received from the bus driver;
• and
• signals received in the first data connection are passed to the second data connection only when the switch is closed.

A data processing system, comprising:

• a plurality of components coupled serially to a bus;
• said bus communicably coupling the plurality of components wherein the bus comprises:
• a bus driver;
• a plurality of bus switch modules coupled to said bus interspersed between ones of said plurality of components, each one of said plurality of components being separated serially on said bus from others of said plurality of components utilizing one of said plurality of bus switch modules;
• said plurality of bus switch modules each connected by a plurality of bus lanes with at least and of the plurality bus switch modules connected to the bus driver;
• wherein each of the plurality of bus switch modules comprises:
• a control unit with an input for receiving instructions from a bus driver;
• and
• a switch with a first and a second data connection which connect the switch to a first and a second segment of a bus;
• wherein
• the control unit opens and closes the switch in response to instruction received from the bus driver;
• and
• signals received in the first data connection are passed to the second data connection only when the switch is closed.