I3C Cafe - Now Brewing: A New Digital Protocol
STMicro Sensors with I3C Support Available Now
While we're eagerly awaiting STMicro to introduce their first microcontroller which features an I3C peripheral, their MEMS sensors team has already launched several devices to mass production. This gives me even more hope that their first microcontroller with I3C support is just barely over the horizon.
Their I3C-capable sensor lineup currently consists of a family of 6-axis IMUs and a family of MEMS pressure sensors.
LSM6DSO[32][X] 6-Axis IMUs
This lineup consists of 3 device variants which each feature 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope. With IMUs, there's always so much nuance in the details, so I'm hesitant to highlight any particular performance parameters which could be missing context. Instead though, I liked to point my favorite feature of this device family: it supports SPI, I2C, and I3C and has been in mass production for a while now. This makes it a perfect candidate to get up and running if you're looking for an I3C-capable sensor which can be designed into a product while still maintaining compatibility with other interfaces. This also makes it very beginner-friendly for setting up your first I3C demo. Links to ST's product pages can be found below. If you're ready to dive right in and try one of these out, you can pick up an official eval board from Mouser or, better yet, support OSHW and get this breakout board from Adafruit.
MEMs Pressure Sensors
There are currently 6 pressure sensors in ST's lineup which feature support for I3C, some of which are capable of measuring up to 4000hPa and drawing just 4uA in high performance mode. Like their cousins in the IMU family discussed above, these devices also support I2C and SPI communication, making them excellent candidates for all sorts of designs. An official eval board for the LPS22HH can be easily purchased from Mouser.
We're using 2 x LSM6DSO32X and 2 x LPS22HH devices included in our I3C demo circuit with great success. You can learn more about that in our soon-to-be-release guide.
Already working with I3C? Check out our I3C Basic Protocol Analyzer Plugin for Saleae Logic...
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