Inter-Integrated Circuit Bus Controller Module (I
2
C)
MPC5606S Microcontroller Reference Manual, Rev. 7
Freescale Semiconductor 743
 
20.5.2.2 Slave Address Transmission
The first byte of data transfer immediately after the START signal is the slave address transmitted by the 
master. This is a seven-bit calling address followed by a R/W bit. The R/W bit tells the slave the desired 
direction of data transfer.
1 = Read transfer—the slave transmits data to the master
0 = Write transfer—the master transmits data to the slave
Only the slave with a calling address that matches the one transmitted by the master will respond by 
sending back an acknowledge bit. This is done by pulling the SDA low at the 9th clock (see Figure 20-10).
No two slaves in the system may have the same address. If the I
2
C Bus is master, it must not transmit an 
address that is equal to its own slave address. The I
2
C Bus cannot be master and slave at the same time. 
However, if arbitration is lost during an address cycle the I
2
C Bus will revert to Slave mode and operate 
correctly, even if it is being addressed by another master.
20.5.2.3 Data Transfer
Once successful slave addressing is achieved, the data transfer can proceed byte-by-byte in a direction 
specified by the R/W bit sent by the calling master.
All transfers that come after an address cycle are referred to as data transfers, even if they carry sub-address 
information for the slave device.
Each data byte is 8 bits long. Data may be changed only while SCL is low and must be held stable while 
SCL is high as shown in Figure 20-10. There is one clock pulse on SCL for each data bit, the MSB being 
transferred first. Each data byte must be followed by an acknowledge bit, which is signaled from the 
receiving device by pulling the SDA low at the ninth clock. Therefore, one complete data byte transfer 
needs nine clock pulses.
If the slave receiver does not acknowledge the master, the SDA line must be left high by the slave. The 
master can then generate a stop signal to abort the data transfer or a start signal (repeated start) to 
commence a new calling.
If the master receiver does not acknowledge the slave transmitter after a byte transmission, it means 'end 
of data' to the slave, so the slave releases the SDA line for the master to generate a stop or START signal.
20.5.2.4 Stop Signal
The master can terminate the communication by generating a stop signal to free the bus. However, the 
master may generate a START signal followed by a calling command without generating a stop signal first. 
This is called repeated START. A stop signal is defined as a low-to-high transition of SDA while SCL is 
at logical “1” (see Figure 20-10).
The master can generate a stop even if the slave has generated an acknowledge, at which point the slave 
must release the bus.