I3C Cafe - Now Brewing: A New Digital Protocol
Texas Instruments I2C Level Translator Characterized for I3C
Texas Instruments has a hidden gem buried in their catalog of devices: an I3C Switch and Voltage-Level translator. Officially marketed as a Dual Bidirectional I2C Bus and SMBus Voltage-Level Translator, the TCA39306 actually calls out I3C compatibility on the first page of its datasheet.
TCA39306 Datasheet, Page 1 [Link]
Aside from the two mentions shown in the screenshot above, usage with an I3C Controller is also included in the "Simplified Application Diagram" on the bottom of the first page as well. This datasheet is really talking the talk when it comes to I3C, but does it walk the walk? Actually, yes. Yes, it Does!
Section 9.3 of the datasheet is dedicated to the nuances of using this device on an I3C bus.
Kudos to the team at TI that put together this datasheet and backed up their bold claims of "I3C Compatible" with some rather thorough discussion of the nuanced details needed to successfully use this device on an I3C bus, as well as for calling out some of the challenges one may face when employing this chip for a role on an I3C bus. At this point, the only remaining mystery about this chip's I3C support is just to know why TI isn't doing more to market it as an I3C device.
Beyond the fact that there's a great level of detail in the datasheet about I3C, it also excites me that this IC is available in VSSOP and SOT packages which means we'll probably build up a circuit to play with it sooner or later.
Already working with I3C? Check out our I3C Basic Protocol Analyzer Plugin for Saleae Logic...
Read More from I3C Cafe...
Renesas Unveils ARM Cortex-M85 Based MCU with I3C Ternary Mode Support
Headlining as the industry's first Cortex-M85 core, this device contains another industry first, details of which are buried a thousand pages deep within the User's Manual
Microchip Launches PIC18-Q20 Curiosity Nano, Partners with Binho for I3C Analyzer
Microchip's 8-bit MCU offers the fastest path to I3C Target development, especially when paired with Binho tools.
Renesas Announces Latest MCUs with I3C on the Arm Cortex-M33
The new Entry Line RA-series MCUs support I3C SDR communications in Controller or Target roles. Still no HDR-DDR mode, but offers a great step up from the limitations of the RA2E2.
MIPI® and I3C® are registered trademarks owned by MIPI Alliance. I3C BasicSM, Debug for I3CSM, I3C HCISM and DisCo for I3CSM are service marks of MIPI Alliance. I3C Cafe is an independent publication (blog) and is not affiliated with nor sponsored or endorsed by the MIPI Alliance. Saleae® and Saleae Logic® are registered trademarks owned by Saleae Inc.