Datasheet
Transmission Formats
MC68HC908GZ60 • MC68HC908GZ48 • MC68HC908GZ32 Data Sheet, Rev. 6
Freescale Semiconductor 243
The maximum frequency of the SPSCK for an SPI configured as a slave is the bus clock speed (which is 
twice as fast as the fastest master SPSCK clock that can be generated). The frequency of the SPSCK for 
an SPI configured as a slave does not have to correspond to any SPI baud rate. The baud rate only 
controls the speed of the SPSCK generated by an SPI configured as a master. Therefore, the frequency 
of the SPSCK for an SPI configured as a slave can be any frequency less than or equal to the bus speed.
When the master SPI starts a transmission, the data in the slave shift register begins shifting out on the 
MISO pin. The slave can load its shift register with a new byte for the next transmission by writing to its 
transmit data register. The slave must write to its transmit data register at least one bus cycle before the 
master starts the next transmission. Otherwise, the byte already in the slave shift register shifts out on the 
MISO pin. Data written to the slave shift register during a transmission remains in a buffer until the end of 
the transmission.
When the clock phase bit (CPHA) is set, the first edge of SPSCK starts a transmission. When CPHA is 
clear, the falling edge of SS
 starts a transmission. See 16.4 Transmission Formats.
NOTE
SPSCK must be in the proper idle state before the slave is enabled to 
prevent SPSCK from appearing as a clock edge.
16.4 Transmission Formats
During an SPI transmission, data is simultaneously transmitted (shifted out serially) and received (shifted 
in serially). A serial clock synchronizes shifting and sampling on the two serial data lines. A slave select 
line allows selection of an individual slave SPI device; slave devices that are not selected do not interfere 
with SPI bus activities. On a master SPI device, the slave select line can optionally be used to indicate 
multiple-master bus contention.
16.4.1 Clock Phase and Polarity Controls
Software can select any of four combinations of serial clock (SPSCK) phase and polarity using two bits 
in the SPI control register (SPCR). The clock polarity is specified by the CPOL control bit, which selects 
an active high or low clock and has no significant effect on the transmission format.
The clock phase (CPHA) control bit selects one of two fundamentally different transmission formats. The 
clock phase and polarity should be identical for the master SPI device and the communicating slave 
device. In some cases, the phase and polarity are changed between transmissions to allow a master 
device to communicate with peripheral slaves having different requirements.
NOTE
Before writing to the CPOL bit or the CPHA bit, disable the SPI by clearing 
the SPI enable bit (SPE).
16.4.2 Transmission Format When CPHA = 0
Figure 16-5 shows an SPI transmission in which CPHA = 0. The figure should not be used as a 
replacement for data sheet parametric information.
Two waveforms are shown for SPSCK: one for CPOL = 0 and another for CPOL = 1. The diagram may 
be interpreted as a master or slave timing diagram since the serial clock (SPSCK), master in/slave out 
(MISO), and master out/slave in (MOSI) pins are directly connected between the master and the slave. 
The MISO signal is the output from the slave, and the MOSI signal is the output from the master. The SS
line is the slave select input to the slave. The slave SPI drives its MISO output only when its slave select 










