7.3.13 I²C Slave Address and AUTO Bit Programming

The TPS23861 includes a means to program in EEPROM the following two fields:

• A seven bit I²C slave address for operation with a host processor.
• AUTO bit which allows the TPS23861 to operate independently without a host processor.

The benefits this approach include:

• Up to 125 similar devices become addressable.
• Provides a high level of flexibility.
  • Helps to resolve conflicts with other peripherals on same I²C bus.
  • The I²C address can be programmed at production subassembly module level or motherboard level.
  • Allows a simple approach to field-installed upgrades or expansions to PSE systems.
• No physical address line required, no bank selection required.
• Smaller package. No address line pins and no AUTO pin.

As shown in Figure 41, the initial I²C address programming access is established by a local daisy chain chip select connection between multiple TPS23861 devices. The AIN pin plays the role of a “moving chip select” during address programming.

Figure 41. I²C Slave Address and AUTO Bit Programming Circuit

The sequence during address programming is as follows:

• Global write command including an unlock code (AAh) and a temporary common slave address (any address other than 30h) is sent to all I²C devices through the broadcast address, 30h.
• All TPS23861 devices respond to the broadcast address 30h regardless of the state of the A3 pin. When the three-byte sequence is correctly decoded,
  1. Each TPS23861 has a new I²C address determined by the programmed temporary slave address with bit 3 equal to the state of the A3 pin.
  2. All TPS23861 devices force low the AOUT output.
  For example, if a temporary common slave address of 20h is written to one device with A3 low and one with A3 high, the device with A3 low will respond to I²C address 20h and the device with A3 high responds to I²C address 28h.
• The first TPS23861 device being selected is the only one having its AIN pin at logic high level (U1 in Figure 41).
• Using the temporary slave address, write the new 7-bit device address in the I²C slave address register. See data format below.

NOTE

The SLA3 slave address bit follows the logic level of A3 input pin, as detailed for I²C Slave Address register.

BITS	D7	D6	D5	D4	D3	D2	D1	D0
BIT NAME	AUTO	7-bit I2C Address

• The first slave accepts the new address, then forces its AOUT output pin to high level and automatically locks the access to its slave address register. It also stores permanently its new slave address into EEPROM.
• The same procedure is repeated for the next slave device, which has just detected that its AIN input has become high.
• This is repeated until all slaves have been reprogrammed.
• The host can then interrogate each slave, one by one, in order to validate their new address.

NOTE

During the address programming procedure if the slave has not received its new address within a timeout period (around 100 ms), it goes back to the initial slave address (before the address programming sequence was initiated); it locks its address register and releases its AOUT output.

• Bit 7 of the 8-bit transfer (AUTO) defines if the controller operates independently (no host processor) as an automatic PSE. The state of this bit is monitored only immediately following a power-on reset, writing a 1 to the RESAL bit of the RESET register, or after the RESET input has been activated. The impact of that bit state on registers after reset is reflected in the Table 10 (Reset State column) and is referred to as “A”.

NOTE

After programming a new I²C slave address to register 0×11, a 100 ms delay is recommended before trying to perform a read check.

NOTE

When using I²C scan for device discovery, it is recommended to add at least a 100 ms delay between writing commands to address 0x30 (Broadcast address) and 0x31. This prevents receiving unnecessary extra ACK. Skipping writing command to address 0x30 can also avoid the extra ACK.

Figure 42. I²C/SMBus Interface Slave Address Programming Protocol

Figure 43. Interrupt Logic Functional Diagram