Patent ID: 7536494

Claim:
A system comprising: a first set of signal lines; a master device coupled to the first set of signal lines; and one or more subsystems coupled to the first set of signal lines, a respective subsystem including: a second set of signal lines having a first terminus and a second terminus; a plurality of slave devices coupled in parallel to the second set of signal lines at nodes between the first terminus and second terminus; a write buffer having an input coupled to the first set of signal lines and having an output coupled to the first terminus of the second set of signal lines, the write buffer to receive incoming signals from the master device via at least some of the first set of signal lines and to transmit signals to the plurality of slave devices via the second set of signal lines in response to the incoming signals; and a read buffer having an input coupled to the second terminus of the second set of signal lines and having an output coupled to the first set of signal lines, the read buffer to receive outgoing signals from the plurality of slave devices via the second set of signal lines and to transmit signals to the master device via at least some of the first set of signal lines in response to the outgoing signals.