NXP Semiconductors


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Bridges
I²C / SPI slave to UART / IrDA / GPIO bridges
I²C slave to SPI master / GPIO bridges
SPI slave to I²C master / GPIO bridges
UART to I²C master / GPIO bridges

NXP’s I2C/SPI to UART/IrDA/GPIO bridge ICs make all kinds of connections possible!

Combine multiple devices quickly and easily. Add in new functionality and features. Interface seamlessly between the industry's most commonly used communications protocols. NXP’s I2C/SPI to UART/IrDA/GPIO bridge ICs make all these possible.

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Key benefits

  • Reduces host interface interconnection to 2 (I²C) or 4 (SPI) wires
  • Compatible with industry-standard UARTs allowing software to be ported
  • One chip can interface to with both I²C and SPI interfaces via a selectable pin
  • Significantly reduces design effort and hardware resources
  • Reduces board size and lowers assembly costs
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Key features

  • High-speed 16C-based single / dual UARTs (5 Mbps) – each UART supports an IrDA interface (115 kbps or 1.152 Mbps)
  • Independent enable / disable for transmitter and receiver
  • 64-byte UART transmit and receive FIFOs
  • Hardware and software reset, POR (Power-On Reset)
  • Low power consumption
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Key applications

  • PDAs, smartphones, and handheld and battery-powered devices
  • Point of Sale (POS) and industrial front-panel interfaces
  • Switches, hubs and routers, wireless IrDA data ports and network diagnostic terminals
  • Bluetooth, GPS and GPRS interface
  • Car infotainment, gaming machines
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Descriptive summary

Compact, low-power protocol converters let you create simpler, more flexible designs while cutting software overhead and time to market. In I2C applications, the bridge ICs operate up to 400 kbps with a choice of 16 hardware-selectable addresses. As an SPI slave, they can operate up to 4 Mbps. Each device has up to 8 general-purpose I/O (GPIO) pins, providing maximum flexibility. They also offer automatic RS485 slave detection. By reducing a host interface from 15 to 2 or 4 wires, the SC16IS7xx family lets you cut the size and cost of your PCB. In addition, the devices support IrDA at either 115 kbps or 1.152 Mbps. So you can deliver wireless connectivity with the I2C and SPI buses, and offer communications with PDAs, consumer remote controls and many other wireless devices.

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