A reduced-pin bus system includes a bus having one or more signal lines that are coupled to a bus power supply through a current limiting device. A master unit is coupled to the bus and is arranged to transmit communications across the bus during an active period of the bus and to initiate communications during (and/or at the end of) a quiescent period of the bus. A slave unit is coupled to the bus and is arranged to couple power from the one or more signal lines to a capacitor during the quiescent period of the bus and to consume power from the capacitor during the active period of the bus.