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.
Using MPCM
For an MCU to act as a master MCU, it can use a 9-bit character frame format (UCSZn
= 7). The ninth bit (TXB8n) must be set when an address frame (TXB8n = 1) or cleared
when a data frame (TXBn = 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 Communi-
cation mode:
1. All Slave MCUs are in Multi-processor Communication mode (MPCMn in
UCSRnA is set).
2. The Master MCU sends an address frame, and all slaves receive and read this
frame. In the Slave MCUs, the RXCn flag in UCSRnA will be set as normal.
3. Each Slave MCU reads the UDRn Register and determines if it has been
selected. If so, it clears the MPCMn bit in UCSRnA, otherwise it waits for the next
address byte and keeps the MPCMn 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 MPCMn bit set, will ignore
the data frames.
5. When the last data frame is received by the addressed MCU, the addressed
MCU sets the MPCMn 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 use the same character
size setting. If 5- to 8-bit character frames are used, the Transmitter must be set to use
two stop bit (USBSn = 1) since the first stop bit is used for indicating the frame type.
188
AT90CAN128
4250E–CAN–12/04
ATMEL [ ATMEL ]
