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The I2CDriver is an easy-to-use, open source tool for controlling I2C devices. It works with Windows, Mac, and Linux, and has a built-in colour screen that shows a live “dashboard” of all the I2C activity. It uses a standard FTDI USB serial chip to talk to the PC, so no special drivers need to be installed. The board includes a separate 3.3 V supply with voltage and current monitoring.
While other I2C tools might offer a couple of LEDs, I2CDriver has a clear logic-analyser display of the signal lines plus graphical decoding of the I2C traffic.
In addition, it continuously displays an address map of all attached I2C devices, so as you connect a device, it lights up on the map. You’ll never have to ask “is this thing even switched on?” again.
The current and voltage monitoring let you catch electrical problems early. The included colour-coded wires make hookup a cinch; no pinout diagram is required. It includes a separate 3.3 V supply for your devices, a high-side current meter, and programmable pull-up resistors for both I2C lines.
There are three I2C ports, so you can hook up multiple devices without any fuss.
I2CDriver comes with free (as in freedom) software to control it from:
- a GUI
- the command-line
- C and C++ using a single source file
- Python 2 and 3, using a module
- Open hardware: the design, firmware and all tools are under the BSD license
- Live display: shows you exactly what it’s doing all the time
- Fast transfer: sustained I2C transfers at 400 and 100 kHz
- USB power monitoring: USB line voltage monitor to detect supply problems, to 0.01 V
- Target power monitoring: target device high-side current measurement, to 5 mA
- I2C pull-ups: programmable I2C pull-up resistors, with automatic tuning
- Three I2C ports: three identical I2C ports, each with power and I2C signals
- Jumpers: colour-coded jumpers included in each pledge level
- 3.3 output: output levels are 3.3 V, all are 5 V tolerant
- Supports all I2C features: 7- and 10-bit I2C addressing, clock stretching, bus arbitration
- Sturdy componentry: uses an FTDI USB serial adapter and Silicon Labs automotive-grade EFM8 controller
- Usage reporting: reports uptime, temperature, and running CRC of all traffic
- Flexible control: GUI, command-line, C/C++, and Python 2/3 host software provided for Windows, Mac, and Linux
Specifications:
- Maximum power out current: up to 470 mA
- Device current: up to 25 mA
- Dimensions: 61 mm x 49 mm x 6 mm
- Computer interface: USB 2.0, micro USB connector