Datasheet

158
ATmega8A [DATASHEET]
8159E–AVR–02/2013
The wired-ANDing of the bus lines is used to solve both these problems. The serial clocks from all masters will be
wired-ANDed, yielding a combined clock with a high period equal to the one from the Master with the shortest high
period. The low period of the combined clock is equal to the low period of the Master with the longest low period.
Note that all masters listen to the SCL line, effectively starting to count their SCL high and low time-out periods
when the combined SCL line goes high or low, respectively.
Figure 21-8. SCL Synchronization Between Multiple Masters
Arbitration is carried out by all masters continuously monitoring the SDA line after outputting data. If the value read
from the SDA line does not match the value the Master had output, it has lost the arbitration. Note that a Master
can only lose arbitration when it outputs a high SDA value while another Master outputs a low value. The losing
Master should immediately go to Slave mode, checking if it is being addressed by the winning Master. The SDA
line should be left high, but losing masters are allowed to generate a clock signal until the end of the current data or
address packet. Arbitration will continue until only one Master remains, and this may take many bits. If several
masters are trying to address the same Slave, arbitration will continue into the data packet.
TA
low
TA
high
SCL from
Master A
SCL from
Master B
SCL Bus
Line
TB
low
TB
high
Masters Start
Counting Low Period
Masters Start
Counting High Period