Abstract: A digital camera system includes a digital image sensor, a memory coupled to the digital image sensor via a data bus, a microcontroller having control signal output ports and a data I/O port, and a bi-directional tri-state buffer coupled to the data I/O port and the data bus for passing data therebetween. At least one of the control signal output ports is coupled to each of the digital image sensor, memory and tri-state buffer. The microcontroller issues control signals over it's control signal output ports to control access to the data bus by establishing only one of a plurality of possible data transfer paths at any given point in time.