There are just a few hardware tools currently on the market for I3C development -- the bulk of which are tailored for the tall task of IP verification and silicon-validation. However as I3C-capable devices make their way onto dev kits and into the hands of firmware developers and embedded systems teams, a market for tools more suitable for traditional development and debugging will grow and test equipment vendors will follow. This page intends to track the release of suitable tools for I3C development.
Protocol Exercisers
Products in this category can be used to emulate I3C devices and behave as an I3C controller or I3C Target. These devices typically include the ability to intentionally inject errors in order to test how other devices handle the test cases. Usually, they also have software support which can provide careful timing analysis to ensure behavior is in accordance with the specification even at the physical layer. Products in this category also serve as a case study for why companies shouldn't let their engineers name the products ;-)
Prodigy Technovations PGY-I3C-EX-PD
I3C Protocol Analyzer and Exerciser
MSRP: $9000 [Available on DigiKey]
Product PageIntrospect Technology SV4E-I3C
I3C Test and Debug Module
MSRP: $8900 [Available on DigiKey]
Product PageOscilloscopes with I3C Decode Options
Most of the household names in the oscilloscope industry have developed support for MIPI I3C Trigger and Decode and make it available via software unlock. Information is sparse around these sorts of products, so it's definitely best to check in with your favorite test equipment distributor to find out the details, but we've scraped together enough information to find some starting points for Keysight, Tektronix, and LeCroy I3C decode solutions.
Keysight D9010MPLP Low Speed MIPI Protocol Decode/Trigger Software
MSRP: $3710+ [Available from TEquipment]
Product PageTektronix 4-SRI3C & 5-SRI3C
MIPI I3C Serial Analysis
MSRP: $2166+ [Available from TEquipment]
Product Page for Tektronix 4-SRI3CProduct Page for Tektronix 5-SRI3CLeCroy HDO4K-I3CBUS TD
I3C Trigger and Decode Option
MSRP: $1565+ [Available from TEquipment]
Product PageLogic Analyzers
Products in this category can be used to observe / record the transactions on an I3C bus, decode the data, and provide a level of analysis suitable for firmware development and debugging. However, these devices are unable to actively participate on the I3C bus -- it cannot perform the functions of an I3C controller nor as an I3C target. These can be used to aid in timing analysis, but the primary use is for observing the data being transferred on the bus, and not necessarily the performance of the physical layer of the protocol.
* At this time, the Saleae Logic software does not include protocol decoding support for I3C. We at Binho have developed an I3C Basic Protocol Analyzer Plugin for Saleae Logic which is available for purchase separately. Several licensing tiers are available. You can find the details on our I3C Basic Protocol Analyzer Plugin page.
Read More from I3C Cafe...
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ETSI Adopts MIPI I3C Basic for Smart Secure Platform
Employment of I3C Basic for the link layer of ETSI SSP paves the way for exciting new embedded system security features.
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.