Techniques are provided for simultaneously ascertaining the status of
a plurality of devices coupled to a data bus. A master device transmits at least
one status request message over the data bus to a plurality of slave devices. In
response, the plurality of slave devices transmit to the master device a status
indicator message including a plurality of status indicators indicating statuses
of the plurality of slave devices. The master device receives the status indicator
message and ascertains the status of at least some of the plurality of slave devices
by examining the status indicators. The status request message and/or status indicator
message may be a message defined according to a protocol associated with the data
bus. The data bus may, for example, be a serial data bus such as an I2C bus.
