Datasheet
687
SAM3X / SAM3A [DATASHEET]
Atmel-11057C-ATARM-SAM3X-SAM3A-Datasheet_23-Mar-15
transferred through MISO and MOSI lines with the chip select configuration registers. This is not the optimal
means in term of memory size for the buffers, but it provides a very effective means to exchange data with several
peripherals without any intervention of the processor.
32.7.3.7 Peripheral Chip Select Decoding
The user can program the SPI to operate with up to 15 peripherals by decoding the four Chip Select lines, NPCS0
to NPCS3 with 1 of up to 16 decoder/demultiplexer. This can be enabled by writing the PCSDEC bit at 1 in the
Mode Register (SPI_MR).
When operating without decoding, the SPI makes sure that in any case only one chip select line is activated, i.e.,
one NPCS line driven low at a time. If two bits are defined low in a PCS field, only the lowest numbered chip select
is driven low.
When operating with decoding, the SPI directly outputs the value defined by the PCS field on NPCS lines of either
the Mode Register or the Transmit Data Register (depending on PS).
As the SPI sets a default value of 0xF on the chip select lines (i.e. all chip select lines at 1) when not processing
any transfer, only 15 peripherals can be decoded.
The SPI has only four Chip Select Registers, not 15. As a result, when decoding is activated, each chip select
defines the characteristics of up to four peripherals. As an example, SPI_CRS0 defines the characteristics of the
externally decoded peripherals 0 to 3, corresponding to the PCS values 0x0 to 0x3. Thus, the user has to make
sure to connect compatible peripherals on the decoded chip select lines 0 to 3, 4 to 7, 8 to 11 and 12 to 14. Figure
32-9 below shows such an implementation.
If the CSAAT bit is used, with or without the DMAC, the Mode Fault detection for NPCS0 line must be disabled.
This is not needed for all other chip select lines since Mode Fault Detection is only on NPCS0.
Figure 32-9. Chip Select Decoding Application Block Diagram: Single Master/Multiple Slave Implementation
SPI Master
SPCK
MISO
MOSI
NPCS0
NPCS1
NPCS2
SPCK
1-of-n Decoder/Demultiplexer
MISOMOSI
NSS
Slave 0
SPCK MISOMOSI
NSS
Slave 1
SPCK MISOMOSI
NSS
Slave 14
NPCS3