Abstract: In order to solve the problem of determining a barrier layer temperature in a semiconductor communication component (1) and thus to guarantee normal operation of the same, for example in a communication system (10) in the form of an xDSL connection card, according to the present invention temperature sensing means (20) for gauging the barrier layer temperature of a circuit arrangement on the communication semiconductor component (1) are integrated in the same. In accordance with the invention the communication system (10) comprises at least one communication semiconductor component (1) according to the invention and a control unit (12), that utilizes the values of the barrier layer temperature made available by the temperature sensing means, which are integrated in the communication semiconductor component (1), and this can be used for regulating cooling devices (18, 19) or for switching the communication semiconductor component (1) to an energy saving mode for example.

Abstract: Slave circuit having a data transmission interface (2) for processing data frames; an address register (10) for storing an address; a comparator (13) for comparing the address stored in the address register (10) with an address transmitted to the data transmission interface (2) in a data frame; an indicator register (16) which indicates the initialization of the slave circuit (1) if the address transmitted to the data transmission interface (2) in the slave circuit (1) is identical to a predetermined initialization address (UIA) for the slave circuit (1).

Abstract: A method for transmitting digital data, which is continued in data frames of variable lengths, from a first data bus to a second data bus, which is operated asynchronously with respect to the first data bus and is controlled by a microprocessor. The method has the below listed steps. The data is written from the first data bus to a memory of a settable size. A memory control unit informs the microprocessor, in the form of an interrupt, when the memory is full or when the end of a data frame is reached. The microprocessor determines from the memory control unit the quantity of data to be read from the memory, reads the data from the memory, and sets the size of the memory. Finally, the microprocessor acknowledges reception of the data block to the memory control unit.

Abstract: In order to solve the problem of determining a barrier layer temperature in a semiconductor communication component (1) and thus to guarantee normal operation of the same, for example in a communication system (10) in the form of an xDSL connection card, according to the present invention temperature sensing means (20) for gauging the barrier layer temperature of a circuit arrangement on the communication semiconductor component (1) are integrated in the same. In accordance with the invention the communication system (10) comprises at least one communication semiconductor component (1) according to the invention and a control unit (12), that utilizes the values of the barrier layer temperature made available by the temperature sensing means, which are integrated in the communication semiconductor component (1), and this can be used for regulating cooling devices (18, 19) or for switching the communication semiconductor component (1) to an energy saving mode for example.

Abstract: Slave circuit having a data transmission interface (2) for processing data frames; an address register (10) for storing an address; a comparator (13) for comparing the address stored in the address register (10) with an address transmitted to the data transmission interface (2) in a data frame; an indicator register (16) which indicates the initialization of the slave circuit (1) if the address transmitted to the data transmission interface (2) in the slave circuit (1) is identical to a predetermined initialization address (UIA) for the slave circuit (1).