iPort/USB
The iPort/USB USB to I2C Host Adapter is a popular addition to our I2C Bus host adapter family. With its simple ASCII text command and Virtual RS-232 Communications Port interface, the iPort/USB is designed to work with any Windows based host computer with an internal or self-powered external USB port.
The iPort/USB can be an I2C Bus master or slave device. As a slave, the iPort/USB can respond to a user selected slave address and the I2C General Call address (0x00). As a master, the iPort/USB supports multi-master operations, arbitration detection, clock-stretching by a slave device and the optional /INTerrupt signal found on some I2C devices. Enhanced features include I2C Bus mastering at 23, 86, 100, or 400 kHz Bit Rates, 12 Mbit/second USB interface speeds, USB bus-powered with optional power for I2C Bus devices and eXtended commands for low-level access to I2C signals making it compatible with many "I2C-like" devices.
The iPort/USB includes two Windows applications (Message Manager and Message Center) that help you get started sending and receiving I2C Bus messages quickly. You can also use terminal emulation software like Windows Hyperterminal, or write your own custom program in Microsoft VB, VB.NET, C, C++, C++.NET, C#, Delphi Pascal, National Instrument LabVIEW and more. Sample Programs to help you get started are provided as well as the free iBurner I2C Bus EEPROM Programming software.
Custom Programming: The iPort/USB provides an ASCII command and Virtual RS-232 Communications Port interface to a Windows host computer. An application program sends simple ASCII text commands out the virtual RS-232 serial port to set up the adapter and send or receive I2C Bus messages. Because the iPort/USB includes a virtual RS-232 interface, it is backward compatible with software applications written for iPort/AFM or iPort/AI host adapters. LabVIEW developers can take advantage of the Virtual Instrument Driver Library. Microsoft.NET developers can use the .NET Class Library.
Recommendation: We recommend the iPort/USB for I2C Bus traffic intensive applications and for users who want to write custom Windows application programs. The ASCII command and Virtual RS-232 Communications Port interface of the iPort/USB makes it easier to interface with almost any application program development tool.