I2C-Bus: What's that?

Almost 20 years ago the I2C bus was designed by Philips to allow easy communication between components which reside on the same circuit board. Philips Semiconductors migrated to NXP in 2006.

The name I2C translates into "Inter IC". The original communication speed was defined with a maximum of 100 kbit per second and many applications don't require faster transmissions. For those that do there is a 400 kbit and - since 1998 - a high speed 3.4 Mbit option available.

Meanwhile I2C is not only used on single boards, but also to connect components which are linked via cable. Simplicity and flexibility are key characteristics that make this bus especially attractive for consumer and automotive electronics.

Most significant features include:

Only two bus lines are required
No strict baud rate requirements like for instance with RS232, the master generates a bus clock
Simple master/slave relationships exist between all components
Each device connected to the bus is software-addressable by a unique address
I2C is a true multi-master bus providing arbitration and collision detection

Want to learn more?

Check our I2C Primer.
The latest I2C specification is available directly from Philips.
There are a number of I2C-like buses, see Definitions and Differences Between I2C, ACCESS.bus and SMBus.
The I2C-Bus and how to use it is a well-known document from Philips discussing the use of this bus in applications.

Looking for I2C tools and software?

Whether you need a high speed I2C solution or a USB I2C interface, whether you want to monitor the bus or need a software platform for your own application, we can help you!.





	I2C Bus
I2C Bus I2C Primer Addressing Auto Increment Clock Stretching Fast Mode Fast Mode Plus High Speed Mode I2C Interface Level Shifting Multi-Master References Repeated Start Condition Single-Master Slave Standard Mode Termination Voltage Level PMBus SMBus Imprint	The subject of this site is to provide detailed information on Philips' I2C bus. I2C-Bus: What's that? Almost 20 years ago the I2C bus was designed by Philips to allow easy communication between components which reside on the same circuit board. Philips Semiconductors migrated to NXP in 2006. The name I2C translates into "Inter IC". The original communication speed was defined with a maximum of 100 kbit per second and many applications don't require faster transmissions. For those that do there is a 400 kbit and - since 1998 - a high speed 3.4 Mbit option available. Meanwhile I2C is not only used on single boards, but also to connect components which are linked via cable. Simplicity and flexibility are key characteristics that make this bus especially attractive for consumer and automotive electronics. Most significant features include: Only two bus lines are required No strict baud rate requirements like for instance with RS232, the master generates a bus clock Simple master/slave relationships exist between all components Each device connected to the bus is software-addressable by a unique address I2C is a true multi-master bus providing arbitration and collision detection Want to learn more? Check our I2C Primer. The latest I2C specification is available directly from Philips. There are a number of I2C-like buses, see Definitions and Differences Between I2C, ACCESS.bus and SMBus. The I2C-Bus and how to use it is a well-known document from Philips discussing the use of this bus in applications. Looking for I2C tools and software? Whether you need a high speed I2C solution or a USB I2C interface, whether you want to monitor the bus or need a software platform for your own application, we can help you!.