26.3.3 Address Packet Format

All address packets transmitted on the TWI bus are nine bits long, consisting of seven address bits, one READ/WRITE control bit, and an acknowledge bit. If the READ/WRITE bit is set, a read operation is to be performed, otherwise, a write operation should be performed. When a slave recognizes that it is being addressed, it should acknowledge by pulling SDA low in the ninth SCL (ACK) cycle. If the addressed slave is busy, or for some other reason cannot service the master’s request, the SDA line should be left high in the ACK clock cycle. The master can then transmit a STOP condition, or a REPEATED START condition to initiate a new transmission. An address packet consisting of a slave address and a READ or a WRITE bit is called SLA+R or SLA+W, respectively.

The MSB of the address byte is transmitted first. Slave addresses can freely be allocated by the designer, but the address '0000 000' is reserved for a general call.

When a general call is issued, all slaves should respond by pulling the SDA line low in the ACK cycle. A general call is used when a Master wishes to transmit the same message to several slaves in the system. When the general call address followed by a Write bit is transmitted on the bus, all slaves set up to acknowledge the general call will pull the SDA line low in the ACK cycle. The following data packets will then be received by all the slaves that acknowledged the general call. Note that transmitting the general call address followed by a Read bit is meaningless as this would cause contention if several slaves started transmitting different data.

All addresses of the format '1111 xxx' should be reserved for future purposes.