148
ATmega16M1/32M1/64M1 [DATASHEET]
8209E–AVR–11/2012
The interconnection between Master and Slave CPUs with SPI is shown in
Figure 18-2. The system consists of two
shift Registers, and a Master clock generator. The SPI Master initiates the communication cycle when pulling low
the Slave Select SS pin of the desired Slave. Master and Slave prepare the data to be sent in their respective shift
Registers, and the Master generates the required clock pulses on the SCK line to interchange data. Data is always
shifted from Master to Slave on the Master Out – Slave In, MOSI, line, and from Slave to Master on the Master In –
Slave Out, MISO, line. After each data packet, the Master will synchronize the Slave by pulling high the Slave
Select, SS, line.
When configured as a Master, the SPI interface has no automatic control of the SS line. This must be handled by
user software before communication can start. When this is done, writing a byte to the SPI Data Register starts the
SPI clock generator, and the hardware shifts the eight bits into the Slave. After shifting one byte, the SPI clock gen-
erator stops, setting the end of transmission flag (SPIF). If the SPI Interrupt Enable bit (SPIE) in the SPCR Register
is set, an interrupt is requested. The Master may continue to shift the next byte by writing it into SPDR, or signal the
end of packet by pulling high the Slave Select, SS line. The last incoming byte will be kept in the Buffer Register for
later use.
When configured as a Slave, the SPI interface will remain sleeping with MISO tri-stated as long as the SS pin is
driven high. In this state, software may update the contents of the SPI Data Register, SPDR, but the data will not
be shifted out by incoming clock pulses on the SCK pin until the SS pin is driven low. As one byte has been com-
pletely shifted, the end of transmission flag, SPIF is set. If the SPI Interrupt Enable bit, SPIE, in the SPCR Register
is set, an interrupt is requested. The Slave may continue to place new data to be sent into SPDR before reading
the incoming data. The last incoming byte will be kept in the Buffer Register for later use.
Figure 18-2. SPI master-slave interconnection.
The system is single buffered in the transmit direction and double buffered in the receive direction. This means that
bytes to be transmitted cannot be written to the SPI Data Register before the entire shift cycle is completed. When
receiving data, however, a received character must be read from the SPI Data Register before the next character
has been completely shifted in. Otherwise, the first byte is lost.
In SPI Slave mode, the control logic will sample the incoming signal of the SCK pin. To ensure correct sampling of
the clock signal, the frequency of the SPI clock should never exceed f
clkio/4.
When the SPI is enabled, the data direction of the MOSI, MISO, SCK, and SS pins is overridden according to
SHIFT
ENABLE