Datasheet

controllable. The baud rate generator can not always do an exact division of the system frequency to get
the baud rate wanted. In this case an UBRR value that gives an acceptable low error can be used if
possible.
24.9 Multi-Processor Communication Mode
Setting the Multi-processor Communication mode (MPCM) bit in UCSRA enables a filtering function of
incoming frames received by the USART Receiver. Frames that do not contain address information will
be ignored and not put into the receive buffer. This effectively reduces the number of incoming frames
that has to be handled by the CPU, in a system with multiple MCUs that communicate via the same serial
bus. The Transmitter is unaffected by the MPCM setting, but has to be used differently when it is a part of
a system utilizing the Multi-processor Communication mode.
If the Receiver is set up to receive frames that contain 5 to 8 data bits, then the first stop bit indicates if
the frame contains data or address information. If the Receiver is set up for frames with nine data bits,
then the ninth bit (RXB8) is used for identifying address and data frames. When the frame type bit (the
first stop or the ninth bit) is one, the frame contains an address. When the frame type bit is zero the frame
is a data frame.
The Multi-processor Communication mode enables several Slave MCUs to receive data from a Master
MCU. This is done by first decoding an address frame to find out which MCU has been addressed. If a
particular Slave MCU has been addressed, it will receive the following data frames as normal, while the
other Slave MCUs will ignore the received frames until another address frame is received.
24.9.1 Using MPCM
For an MCU to act as a Master MCU, it can use a 9-bit character frame format (UCSZ = 7). The ninth bit
(TXB8) must be set when an address frame (TXB8 = 1) or cleared when a data frame (TXB = 0) is being
transmitted. The Slave MCUs must in this case be set to use a 9-bit character frame format.
The following procedure should be used to exchange data in Multi-Processor Communication Mode:
1. All Slave MCUs are in Multi-processor Communication mode (MPCM in UCSRA is set).
2. The Master MCU sends an address frame, and all slaves receive and read this frame. In the Slave
MCUs, the RXC Flag in UCSRA will be set as normal.
3. Each Slave MCU reads the UDR Register and determines if it has been selected. If so, it clears the
MPCM bit in UCSRA, otherwise it waits for the next address byte and keeps the MPCM setting.
4. The addressed MCU will receive all data frames until a new address frame is received. The other
Slave MCUs, which still have the MPCM bit set, will ignore the data frames.
5. When the last data frame is received by the addressed MCU, the addressed MCU sets the MPCM
bit and waits for a new address frame from Master. The process then repeats from 2.
Using any of the 5- to 8-bit character frame formats is possible, but impractical since the Receiver must
change between using n and n+1 character frame formats. This makes full-duplex operation difficult since
the Transmitter and Receiver uses the same character size setting. If 5- to 8-bit character frames are
used, the Transmitter must be set to use two stop bit (USBS = 1) since the first stop bit is used for
indicating the frame type.
Do not use Read-Modify-Write instructions (SBI and CBI) to set or clear the MPCM bit. The MPCM bit
shares the same I/O location as the TXC Flag and this might accidentally be cleared when using SBI or
CBI instructions.
AVR 8-Bit Microcontroller
USART - Universal Synchronous and Asynchrono...
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Datasheet Complete
40001974A-page 199