PROCESS CONTROL WITH DATA BUS PROTOCOL

摘要

The present invention includes a process control instrument (100) having an improved data bus protocol for facilitating communications between master and slave nodes. The process control instrument (100) includes a microprocessor (200) operating in accordance with the SPI data bus protocol, first and second peripheral devices (204, 206), and a data bus (220) coupled to the microprocessor and the first and second peripheral devices. The improved data bus protocol used in the process control instruments of the present invention provides numerous advantages such as reduced printed circuit board space requirements and greater interchangeability of peripheral and master node components.