The transaction on the bus is started through a START (ST) signal. A START condition is
defined as a HIGH to LOW transition on the data line while the SCL line is held HIGH. After
this has been transmitted by the master, the bus is considered busy. The next byte of data
transmitted after the start condition contains the address of the slave in the first 7 bits and
the eighth bit tells whether the master is receiving data from the slave or transmitting data to
the slave. When an address is sent, each device in the system compares the first seven bits
after a start condition with its address. If they match, the device considers itself addressed
by the master.
The Slave ADdress (SAD) associated to the LSM6DS3H is 110101xb. The SDO/SA0 pin
can be used to modify the less significant bit of the device address. If the SDO/SA0 pin is
connected to the supply voltage, LSb is ‘1’ (address 1101011b); else if the SDO/SA0 pin is
connected to ground, the LSb value is ‘0’ (address 1101010b). This solution permits to
connect and address two different inertial modules to the same I2C bus.
Data transfer with acknowledge is mandatory. The transmitter must release the SDA line
during the acknowledge pulse. The receiver must then pull the data line LOW so that it
remains stable low during the HIGH period of the acknowledge clock pulse. A receiver
which has been addressed is obliged to generate an acknowledge after each byte of data
received.
The I2C embedded inside the LSM6DS3H behaves like a slave device and the following
protocol must be adhered to. After the start condition (ST) a slave address is sent, once a
slave acknowledge (SAK) has been returned, an 8-bit sub-address (SUB) is transmitted.
The increment of the address is configured by the CTRL3_C (12h) (IF_INC).
The slave address is completed with a Read/Write bit. If the bit is ‘1’ (Read), a repeated
START (SR) condition must be issued after the two sub-address bytes; if the bit is ‘0’ (Write)
the master will transmit to the slave with direction unchanged. Table 11 explains how the
SAD+Read/Write bit pattern is composed, listing all the possible configurations.