referring to fig2 an electronic device 5 is shown having 16 address leads , separated into a first group 100 and a second group 120 , for transmitting 16 address bits , separated into a first group a15 - a8 and a second group a7 - a0 ; 8 address / data leads 160 , for transmitting 8 address bits , a7 - a0 , multiplexed with 8 data bits , d7 - d0 , on a multiplexed address / data signal , ad7 - ad0 ; and 4 control leads , 180 , 185 , 190 and 195 , for transmitting 4 control signals , as , ds , r / w , and dm . within electronic device 5 , an electronic circuit 10 generates the 16 address bits , a15 - a0 , and transmits them to the address leads 100 and 120 . the electronic circuit 10 also generates the 4 control signals as , ds , r / w , and dm , and transmits them to their respective control leads 180 , 185 , 190 , and 195 . in addition , the electronic circuit 10 generates or receives the 8 data bits , d7 - d0 , and transmits them to or receives them from a multiplexer 20 via lines 140 . also within electronic device 5 , the multiplexer 20 multiplexes or de - multiplexes the address and data bits , a7 - a0 and d7 - d0 respectively . when data is to be transmitted from the electronic circuit 10 , the multiplexer 20 multiplexes the address and data bits by transmitting to the leads 160 , the address bits , which it receives from lines 110 , when the address strobe as is low , and the data bits , which it receives from lines 140 , when the data strobe ds is low . conversely , when data is to be received by the electronic circuit 10 , the multiplexer 20 de - multiplexes the address and data bits by receiving from the leads 160 a timed data signal from which it can strobe out the data bits , d7 - d0 , when the data strobe ds is low . fig3 illustrates timing diagrams for the generation by the multiplexer 20 of the multiplexed address / data signal to the leads 160 . the multiplexer 20 receives both the address bits , a7 - a0 , via lines 110 , and the data bits , d7 - d0 , via lines 140 , as well as , the address strobe signal , as , via line 180 , and the data strobe signal , ds , via line 185 . when the address strobe signal , as , goes low , such as at times t1 and t3 , the address bits , a7 - a0 , are strobed out of the multiplexer 20 to the leads 160 . conversely , when the data strobe signal , ds , goes low , such as at times t2 and t4 , the data bits , d7 - d0 , are strobed out of the multiplexer 20 to the leads 160 . thus , by alternating the address and data strobe signals , an alternating or multiplexed address and data signal can be strobed to the leads 160 by the multiplexer 20 . timing diagrams for the de - multiplexing of the data signal from the multiplexed address / data signal from leads 160 can also be seen from the figure . when the data strobe signal , ds , goes low , such as at times t2 and t4 , the data bits , d7 - d0 , are strobed out of the multiplexer 20 to the lines 140 . when the data strobe signal , ds , is high , such as at times t1 and t3 , the multiplexer 20 ignores the information from the leads 160 and continues to output the previously strobed data bits , d7 - d0 , to the lines 140 . fig4 illustrates the connection of the electronic device 5 to a 32k × 8 eeprom 40 , which requires that its i / o for the address and data be non - multiplexed and be on separate leads , 400 , 410 and 420 , respectively , and to a data path controller 30 , which requires that its i / o for the address and data be multiplexed through the same leads , 500 . the 32k × 8 eeprom 40 has its chip enable , ce , connected to the a15 address lead of the electronic device 5 , its address inputs , a14 - a0 , connected to the corresponding address leads of the electronic device 5 , its data inputs , d7 - d0 , connected to the multiplexed address / data leads , ad7 - ad0 , of the electronic device 5 , its output enable , oe , connected to the data strobe lead , ds , from the electronic device 5 , and its read / write input , r / w , connected to the corresponding read / write output , r / w , of the electronic device 5 . fig5 illustrates the timing diagrams for reading data from the 32k × 8 eeprom 40 to the electronic device 5 . first , the electronic device 5 initiates communication with the 32k × 8 eeprom 40 by setting its a15 bit and therefore the chip enable input , ce , of the 32k × 8 eeprom 40 to low . at time t1 , the electronic device 5 then transmits a read command to the 32k × 8 eeprom 40 by setting its read /- write , r / w , line to high . the reading of data from the 32k × 8 eeprom 40 is then subsequently controlled by the electronic device 5 through its data strobe signal , ds , which is connected to the output enable , oe , of the 32k × 8 eeprom 40 . at times t2 and t4 , the output enable , oe , of the 32k × 8 eeprom 40 strobes the data , d7 - d0 , out through its leads 420 to the leads 160 of the electronic device 5 . inside the electronic device 5 , the multiplexer 20 then receives the signal from the leads 160 and strobes the data , d7 - d0 , off of the signal and onto the lines 140 under the control of the data strobe signal , ds . the electronic circuit 10 then reads the data off of the lines 140 . referring back to fig4 the data path controller 30 has its chip select , cs , connected to the data memory lead , dm , of the electronic device 5 , its multiplexed address / data inputs , a7 - a0 , d7 - d0 , connected to the multiplexed address / data leads , ad7 - ad0 , of the electronic device 5 , its address strobe , as , and data strobe , ds , inputs connected to the corresponding outputs of the electronic device 5 , and its read / write input , r / w , connected to the corresponding read / write output , r / w , of the electronic device 5 . fig6 illustrates the timing diagrams for reading and writing data to and from the data path controller 30 to the electronic device 5 . first , the electronic device 5 initiates communication with the data path controller 30 by setting its data memory bit , dm , and therefore the chip select input , cs , of the data path controller 30 to high . around time t1 , the electronic device 5 then transmits a read or write command to the data path controller 30 by setting its read / write , r / w , line to high or low , respectively . the reading or writing of data from or to the data path controller 30 is then subsequently controlled by the electronic device 5 through its address and data strobe signals , as and ds , which are connected to the corresponding address and data strobe inputs of the data path controller 30 . at times t1 and t3 , the address to be read from is strobed off of the signal transmitted from the leads 160 of the electronic device 5 by the address strobe , as . at times t2 and t4 , the corresponding data which is to be read from or written to the data path controller 30 is strobed by the data address strobe , ds , from or to the leads 160 by either the data path controller 30 or the electronic device 5 . when data is to be sent to the data path controller 30 , the multiplexer 20 within the electronic device 5 multiplexes the data bits , d7 - d0 , with the address bits , a7 - a0 , as previously described , and when data is to be received from the data path controller 30 , the multiplexer 20 de - multiplexs the data bits , d7 - d0 , off the received signal through leads 160 and transmits only the data bits on lines 140 as previously described in reference to fig3 . a zilog z86c94 cmos z8 ® digital signal processor is representative of the electronic device 5 described . for example , fig7 illustrates a package outline for the z86c94 , and fig8 describes its i / o pin assignments . in the example , the electronic device 5 ( e . g ., z86c94 ) includes an 84 - pin plcc package body 500 , an electronic circuit enclosed within the 84 - pin plcc package body 500 , and a plurality of i / o leads or contacts ( e . g ., 505 ) which are connected , in a conventional manner , to the electronic circuit , and have ends extending out of the package body 500 so that the electronic device 5 can communicate with other electronic devices through the plurality of i / o leads or contacts ( e . g ., 505 ). although the various aspects of the present invention have been described with respect to a preferred embodiment , it will be understood that the invention is entitled to full protection within the full scope of the appended claims .