Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for assigning unique addresses to slave devices in a system comprising a host controller and multiple slave devices connected in a daisy chain configuration. The host controller initiates the address programming protocol, resulting in address assignment commands propagating along the daisy chain to each of the slave devices. Upon receiving an address assignment, each slave device issues an updated address assignment for the neighboring downstream slave device in the daisy chain. In this manner, slave devices are uniquely addressed using a single command, such that slave devices do not require factory-programmed device addresses. Also disclosed are communication protocols that allow the host controller to communicate with each of the daisy-chained slave devices or with certain subsets of the slave devices. Via the protocol, the host controller can communicate with any slave device in the daisy chain, while utilizing only the daisy chain connections that link the individual slave devices.