The Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter is a fast and powerful I2C bus and SPI bus host adapter through USB. It allows a developer to interface a Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X PC via USB to a downstream embedded system environment and transfer serial messages using the I2C and SPI protocols.
Not sure which product is right for your needs? The Product Selector Guide provides a summary table of key features for each Total Phase product.
Comparison Chart: See how the Aardvark Host Adapter compares to other I2C Host Adapters on the market.
Features
I2C
True 400 kbps performance over higher bandwidth USB versus
slower RS-232.- Supports standard mode (100 kbps) and fast (400 kbps) mode as well as various speeds ranging from 1 kHz to 800 kHz.
- Supports inter-bit and inter-byte clock stretching.
- Supports multi-master.
- Master transmit and receive.
- Asynchronous slave transmit and receive.
- Software configurable I2C pull-up resistors.
- Software configurable target power pins to power downstream devices.
- Repeated Start, 10-bit slave addressing, and Combined Format transactions.
The Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter is compatible with:
- Display Data Channel (DDC)
- System Management Bus (SMBus)
- Two-Wire Interface (TWI)
Learn more about I2C in the I2C Background Article.
SPI
- Operates in master or slave mode.
- Up to 8 Mbps master signaling rate.
- Up to 4 Mbps slave signaling rate.
- Full duplex master transmit/receive.
- Asynchronous slave transmit/receive.
- Software configurable target power pins to power downstream devices.
- Software configurable Slave Select (SS) polarity in master mode.
Learn more about SPI in the SPI Background article.
GPIO - General Purpose IO
- I2C and SPI pins can be repurposed for more general use, allowing them to be used for custom signals on target systems.
- GPIO functionality can also be combined with I2C or SPI to interact with your target system.
- GPIO configuration is cached internally to preserve settings between operational modes.
USB
Some of the benefits of USB include:
- Up to 8 Mbps transfer to host PC.
- USB 1.1 compliant.
- Reports as a full-speed (12 Mbps) device to USB 2.0 hosts.
- USB powered - No Extra Power Adapters.
- Multiple devices can be used simultaneously.
Aardvark Control Center Software
The Aardvark Control Center Software is a graphical application that provides an easy way to get developers up and running quickly. The Control Center eliminates the need to write custom software to control your Aardvark adapter and is FREE!
Some features include:
- Full access to all
Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter functionality. - Batch scripting capability with the Aardvark XML Batch Script language.
- Logging of all transactions in and out of the adapter.
- Control of multiple devices simultaneously.
Learn more about the Aardvark Control Center Software.
Aardvark LabVIEW Driver
The Aardvark LabVIEW Driver is a free, open source driver for use with LabVIEW. All Aardvark API functions are supported. The driver comes complete with example I2C, SPI and GPIO applications.
Learn more about the Aardvark LabVIEW Driver.
Rosetta Language Bindings - Development API
- Develop custom solutions in C/C++, C#, VB, .NET, and Python
- Clean API is well-documented and easy to integrate
- Fully Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X compatible
- Royalty-free API can be used without licensing fees
- No extra development kit to buy, you can download
it before you even buy a
Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter.
Learn more about Rosetta Language Bindings and the API.
Future-Proof
The Aardvark adapter is completely field-upgradable via USB. Total Phase is committed to improving the Aardvark adapter and making these improvements available to our customers free of charge. There are no yearly support contracts and no software update fees.
Updates will be available for download from our website's Downloads section.
Compatibility
The Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter was engineered from the very beginning to be a cross-platform device. The software and utilities for the Aardvark Adapter function on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X so that you can develop software for your preferred platform.
Windows
The software is supported on Windows 2000 (SP4 or later) and Windows XP (SP2 or later) and Windows Vista.
Linux
The software has been designed for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 and 5 with kernel 2.6. Customers have reported successful operation with SuSE and Ubuntu distributions. Please be aware that there may be significant differences and idiosyncracies in the way that different distributions of Linux operate. As such, Total Phase may not be able to support your particular distribution of Linux. Support will be offered on a case-by-case basis.
Mac OS X
The software is supported on Intel versions of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and 10.5 Leopard.
64-bit Support
The software will run on 64-bit Linux and Mac OS X as a 32-bit application. Total Phase will offer similar support for 64-bit Windows in the coming weeks.
What is Included
- Aardvark I2C Host Adapter Unit
- 6 foot USB A->B cable
- Software CD:
- Windows USB Drivers
- Linux USB Hot Plug Configuration files
- Aardvark Control Center Software
- Aardvark LabVIEW Driver
- Rosetta Language Bindings: C/C++, Python, Visual Basic
- Examples
- Datasheet
- Documentation
Prices
| Part Number | Description | Quantity | Unit Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| TP240141 | Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter - v4.00 | 1 | $250.00 |
| 10 | $237.50 | ||
| 25 | $225.00 | ||
| 50 | Call |
For a customized quote, please use our automated quote system. For orders of 50 units or more, email us at Total Phase Sales.
Related Products
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
|
I2C Development Kit
TP120111 $550.00 |
The I2C Development Kit is a comprehensive and cost-effective kit that bundles together a complete set of Total Phase's industry-leading I2C development tools and popular accessories. |
|
Programming Kit
TP120311 $625.00 |
The Programming Kit bundles together a complete set of tools for programming I2C- and SPI-based serial EEPROMs and Serial Flash chips both in-system and stand-alone. |
|
Beagle I2C/SPI/MDIO Protocol Analyzer
TP320121 $300.00 |
The versatile Beagle I2C/SPI/MDIO Protocol Analyzer is the ideal tool for the embedded engineer who is developing an I2C, SPI, or MDIO based product. The Beagle analyzer provides a high performance monitoring solution in a small and portable package. |
|
Cheetah SPI Host Adapter
TP280121 $350.00 |
The Cheetah SPI Host Adapter is a high-speed SPI adapter that is capable of communicating over SPI at up to 40+ MHz. |
|
Level Shifter Board
TP240610 $75.00 |
The Level Shifter Board provides voltage level translation,
ranging from 1.2V to 3.3V, for the |
|
10-Pin Split Cable
TP240211 $25.00 |
10-Pin Split Cable makes it easy to connect your Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter or Beagle I2C/SPI/MDIO Protocol Analyzer to your target with individual flying leads. |
|
10-Pin Grabber Clip Split Cable
TP240410 $60.00 |
10-Pin Grabber Clip Split Cable makes it easy to connect your Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter, Beagle I2C/SPI/MDIO Protocol Analyzer, or Cheetah SPI Host Adapter to your target with individual flying leads. |
|
Flash Socket Board
TP240510 $60.00 |
The Flash Socket Board allows a developer to flash and burn stand-alone I2C- or SPI-based memory chips by using either an Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter or a Cheetah SPI Host Adapter as an interface from a Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X computer. |
|
I2C/SPI Activity Board
TP240310 $45.00 |
The I2C/SPI Activity Board is the perfect tool for both the expert and novice embedded systems developer. Novices can learn the mechanics of the I2C and SPI protocols. Experts can use the activity board as a sanity check to debug their systems against known working slave devices. |
|
Aardvark Control Center Software
|
The Aardvark Control Center Software provides easy access to all of the features of the Aardvark adapter. Within minutes, developers can make full use of I2C, SPI, and GPIO functionality. |
|
Flash Center Software
|
The Flash Center is a free software package that allows engineers to quickly erase, program, and verify I2C- and SPI-based EEPROM and Flash memory chips. |
|
Aardvark LabVIEW Driver
|
The Aardvark LabVIEW Driver is a free and open-source LabVIEW Instrument Driver for accessing the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter within the LabVIEW development environment. |
|
Rosetta Language Bindings and API
|
The Rosetta language bindings make integration of Total Phase devices into custom applications simple. The API is clean, easy to understand, and can be compiled by any standard compiler. |
Downloads
| File | Summary | Details | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
|
USB Drivers - Linux and Windows Version: 1.00 Date: 2007-04-20 |
This package contains the 32-bit USB drivers for the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter, Beagle I2C/SPI/MDIO Protocol Analyzer, Beagle USB 12 Protocol Analyzer, and Cheetah SPI Host Adapter. Unzip it to a temporary folder before plugging in any Total Phase product for the first time. Please view the README.txt for specific instructions to install the USB Driver. |
None |
Download
|
|
Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter Datasheet Version: 5.00 Date: 2008-06-06 |
This document contains the complete datasheet of the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter, covering usage, programming, and engineering specifications. |
None |
Download
HTML |
|
Control Center GUI (Windows 2000/XP) Version: 3.50 Date: 2008-06-06 |
GUI Application for the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter - Windows 32-bit version |
This version requires Windows 2000 (SP4 or later), Windows XP (SP2 or later), or Windows Vista. Note that this software requires an update of the firmware to version 3.40 |
Download
|
|
Control Center GUI (Mac OS X) Version: 3.50 Date: 2008-06-06 |
GUI Application for the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter - Mac OS X 32-bit version |
This version requires an Intel version of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger or 10.5 Leopard. Note that this software requires an update of the firmware to version 3.40 |
Download
|
|
Control Center GUI (Linux) Version: 3.50 Date: 2008-06-06 |
GUI Application for the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter - Linux 32-bit version |
This software has been designed for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 and 5 with kernel 2.6. Note that this software requires an update of the firmware to version 3.40 |
Download
|
|
Aardvark Example Source Code Version: 5.00 Date: 2008-06-06 |
Source code which shows how to use the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter software libraries. |
Examples are available in C, C#, Python, Visual Basic 6, Visual Basic .NET, and Aardvark XML batch script code and make use of the targets on the I2C/SPI Activity Board. Explanatory notes and build instructions are included in the README.txt file. |
Download
|
|
Aardvark Firmware update utility Version: 3.40 Date: 2008-06-06 |
Firmware update utility. |
Note that this firmware requires an update of the software to version 3.00 Unzip into a temporary folder and run aaflash-win32.exe (Windows), aaflash-linux (Linux), or aaflash-darwin (Mac OS X) from the command line. Please read the README.txt in the package as there are significant changes in the way the driver functions. |
Download
|
|
Aardvark LabVIEW Driver (Windows 2000/XP) Version: 3.30 Date: 2006-08-31 |
Free, Open Source 32-bit LabVIEW Driver for the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter Installation instructions can be found in the README.txt file. |
Note that this software requires an update of the firmware to version 3.30 |
Download
|
|
Aardvark Software API and Shared Library Version: 5.00 Date: 2008-06-06 |
Rosetta Language Bindings - 32-bit Software API and Shared Library Contains the aardvark.c/h modules and a shared object (aardvark.so) for Linux and dynamic link library (aardvark.dll)for Windows. |
Note that this software requires an update of the firmware to version 3.40 Please read the UPGRADE.txt in the package because some API calls have been changed. |
Download
|