// total phase promira upgrade
All the buses. None of the licenses.
A Promira unlocks I²C and SPI only after you buy the licenses. The Binho Pulsar includes I²C, SPI, UART, RS-485, GPIO, CAN-FD, and 1-Wire out of the box, with free cross-platform software, for one price that saves you hundreds to over a thousand dollars.
Ships worldwide · Windows, macOS, Linux · Royalty-free SDK · US-based engineering support
// no licenses
Promira unlocks I²C and SPI only through separately-priced Application licenses. Pulsar includes every protocol out of the box. Nothing to license, ever.
// one price
A Promira built to match a Pulsar runs about $1,385, and past $2,000 once you add the high-speed SPI license and a cable. Pulsar is one modest price.
// every bus
I²C, SPI, UART, RS-485, GPIO, CAN-FD, and 1-Wire, all standard. The Promira platform never speaks UART, RS-485, CAN-FD, or 1-Wire at any price.
// the license math
What a Promira really costs.
The $900 sticker is only the base unit. I²C and SPI are separate paid licenses, and the target cable is extra. Here is the shortest path to a Promira that does what a Pulsar does the moment it arrives.
// total phase promira
- Promira Serial Platform base unit · TP500110 $900
- I²C Active — Level 1 to unlock I²C, up to 1 MHz $150
- SPI Active — Level 2 to unlock SPI, up to 40 MHz $300
- Target ribbon cable sold separately $35
And that SPI license (Level 2) tops out at 40 MHz. Matching Pulsar’s 50 MHz means the $1,000 Level 3 license, pushing the total past $2,000.
// binho pulsar
- I²C and SPI controllers
- UART, RS-485, GPIO, CAN-FD, 1-Wire
- Programmable DUT power + level shifting
- Mission Control 3 — free, Win / macOS / Linux
- Memory programmer + browser web app
- Python · Java · C / C++ / C# SDKs
Total Phase published US list prices, July 2026: Promira Serial Platform $900, I²C Active Level 1 $150, SPI Active Level 2 $300, target cable from $35. The configuration shown is the minimum to run active I²C and SPI on a Promira.
// i²c and spi
Talk to any I²C or SPI device.
I²C
1 MHz maxcontroller, configurable pull-ups
- I²C controller
- 7-bit addressing, clock stretching
- Configurable pull-up resistors
- 1.2 V to 3.3 V
SPI
50 MHz maxcontroller, 4× chip-select
- SPI controller
- All four SPI modes
- Up to 4× chip-select signals
- 1.2 V to 3.3 V
// head to head
Same job. A fraction of the cost.
| Binho Pulsar | TP Promira | |
|---|---|---|
| // Cost & licensing | ||
| Base device | Everything included | $900 base, protocols licensed separately |
| I²C capability | Included | +$150 license (Active L1) |
| SPI capability | Included | +$150 to $1,000 license (L1 to L3) |
| UART, RS-485, CAN-FD, 1-Wire | Included | Not available at any price |
| Cost to match a Pulsar | $599, all in | $1,385+ (about $2,085 to match 50 MHz SPI) |
| // Hardware & protocols | ||
| Host link | USB 2.0 High Speed, 480 Mbps | USB 2.0 High Speed + Gigabit Ethernet |
| SPI clock | 50 MHz, included | Up to 80 MHz, paid license |
| I²C speed | 1 MHz, included | Up to 3.4 MHz, paid license |
| SPI chip-selects | 4 | Up to 8 |
| Signal voltage | 1.2 to 3.3 V | 0.9 to 3.3 V, 5 V tolerant |
| Protocols on offer | I²C, SPI, UART, RS-485, GPIO, CAN-FD, 1-Wire | I²C, SPI, eSPI, I3C — each licensed |
| Bus analysis / sniffing | Not offered | Yes, with Analysis license |
| // Software support | ||
| Transactions GUI Tool | Mission Control 3 · free · Win / macOS / Linux | Promira software, license-gated |
| Memory programming GUI Tool | Mission Control 3 · Win / macOS / Linux | Flash Center · Windows / Linux only |
| Web version available | Yes, try it here | No |
| Device SDK | Python · Java · C / C++ / C# | C / Python / .NET |
Credit where it is due. The Promira is a capable, higher-ceiling instrument: with the right licenses it reaches 80 MHz SPI and 3.4 MHz I²C, signals down to 0.9 V, and can analyze and sniff buses. If you need those, it is built for them. But for everyday I²C and SPI host-adapter work, plus UART, RS-485, CAN-FD, and 1-Wire it never offers, Pulsar does the job out of the box, with one free app, for hundreds to over a thousand dollars less.
// trusted by engineering teams at
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Ready to accelerate development?
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// memory programming
Program EEPROM and SPI FLASH memories with ease.
Reading and writing I²C EEPROMs and SPI flash is one of the top use-cases for host adapters. Mission Control 3’s Memory Programmer does it with a visual hex editor, per-chip presets, read / write / verify / blank-check / erase, and binary file load and save, then goes places Total Phase’s Flash Center can’t.
// every os
macOS included.
Runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Flash Center is Windows and Linux only, so Mac users are stuck in a VM.
// in your browser
Or no install at all.
Program straight from a browser tab. Nothing to download, nothing to license, on any machine.
// try it now
Test drive it today.
Launch a simulated device in the web app and read, write, and verify right now, before your Pulsar even ships.
// see it in action
Drive I²C without writing code.
Mission Control 3 turns bus work into point-and-click. Compose a transaction and run it, then chain a whole sequence and fire it in one go.
// point and click
Run a transaction with a click.
Compose an I²C read or write in the GUI and send it straight to your device.
// sequences
Chain them into a sequence.
Line up a series of transactions and run them together, repeatable and ready to replay whenever you need them.
// get mission control 3
Get Mission Control 3.
Try it right now in your browser with a simulated device, no hardware required, or install the desktop app for Windows, macOS, or Linux.
Launch in your browser// or download the desktop app · v2026.6.0
// in the box
Everything you need. Running in under a minute.
Every cable, adapter, breakout, and mounting accessory ships in a protective case. Plug in over USB-C and you are on the bus, with no extra parts to source.
1× Binho Pulsar USB Host Adapter
Differential Port Kit
- 1× 4-pin JST PH cable with female headers
- 1× 4-pin JST PH cable with male headers
Dedicated I2C Port Kit
- 1× 4-pin JST SH (Qwiic-compatible) to 4-pin JST SH cable
- 1× 4-pin JST SH (Qwiic-compatible) cable with male headers
- 1× 4-pin JST SH (Qwiic-compatible) cable with female headers
Multifunction Port Breakout Kit
- 1× 30-conductor IDC ribbon cable
- 1× ribbon cable to 2.54 mm pitch header breakout board
USB Kit
- 1× USB Type-C to Type-A cable
- 1× USB Type-A to Type-C adapter
Mounting Kit
- 2× mounting screws
- 2× washers
1× Custom protective zippered carry case
Supercharge embedded development!
// and there's more
Buses a Promira never offers.
Beyond I²C and SPI, Pulsar speaks buses the Promira platform simply does not, at any license tier. All standard, all in one tool, so the next board that needs another bus does not cost you another dime.
// ai native
Ready for your agents.
An open, fully documented SDK lets an AI agent drive real silicon over I2C, SPI, UART, RS-485, and CAN-FD, learning the whole API from a single prompt. It is the kind of modern workflow a legacy adapter was never built for.
// the prompt
Use the Pulsar to scan the I2C bus, read the EEPROM at 0x50, and tell me what is stored there.
One sentence in. The agent learns the API, runs it on real silicon, and reports back.
// faq
Common questions.
Why is the Pulsar so much cheaper than a Promira?
The Promira is a base platform: the $900 unit ships without active I²C or SPI until you buy Application licenses on top ($150 for I²C, $150 to $1,000 for SPI, plus a cable). A Pulsar includes I²C, SPI, UART, RS-485, GPIO, CAN-FD, and 1-Wire in the box for one price, so a comparable setup costs hundreds to well over a thousand dollars less.
Does the Pulsar match the Promira on I²C and SPI?
For the vast majority of development and test work, yes. Pulsar is a 1 MHz I²C controller and a 50 MHz SPI controller with four chip-selects and all four modes, all standard. On a Promira you would need the I²C Active and SPI Active licenses to reach the same functionality, and SPI Active Level 2 tops out at 40 MHz, so matching Pulsar’s 50 MHz means the $1,000 Level 3 license.
What can a Promira do that a Pulsar cannot?
The Promira platform is a higher-ceiling instrument: with the right licenses it reaches 80 MHz SPI and 3.4 MHz I²C, signals down to 0.9 V, offers up to 8 chip-selects and 16 GPIO, and can sniff and analyze buses. If you specifically need bus analysis, sub-1.2 V signaling, or those top speeds, that is what the Promira is for. If you need a first-class I²C/SPI host adapter for everyday work, Pulsar does that job for far less.
What does the Pulsar add that the Promira platform does not offer?
Native UART, RS-485, six dedicated GPIO, CAN-FD, and 1-Wire, plus a programmable 1.2 to 3.3 V DUT-power rail. The Promira platform is an I²C / SPI / eSPI / I3C device; it does not speak UART, RS-485, CAN-FD, or 1-Wire at any license tier.
Do I have to license or subscribe to any Pulsar software?
No. Mission Control 3 is a free, unified app for Windows, macOS, and Linux, with a full no-code GUI, a memory programmer, and Python, Java, and C/C++/C# SDKs. Nothing is gated behind a license or subscription.
Does the Pulsar support MIPI I3C?
No. The Pulsar covers SPI, I²C, UART, and RS-485, but not I3C. If you need MIPI I3C, reach for the Binho Supernova: it adds I3C alongside I²C, SPI, UART, and GPIO, and runs on the very same Mission Control 3 software and SDKs as the Pulsar, so moving between them is seamless.
Explore the Binho SupernovaSkip the license stack.
Every protocol, free cross-platform software, one price. All the Promira essentials without the base-plus-licenses math.