A method or apparatus operates a multitude of devices in a serial interconnection configuration to establish a device identifier (ID) for each device. An input signal is transmitted through a serial interconnection to a first device using inputs that are also used by the first device to input other information thereto (e.g., data, commands, control signals). A generating circuit generates a device ID in response to the input signal. A transfer circuit then transfers an output signal associated with the device ID to a second device through a serial output of the first device. The serial output is also used by the first device to output other information (e.g., signals, data) to another device in the serial interconnection configuration.