Total Phase now offers new high-speed I2C and SPI sniffing capabilities on our Promira Serial Platform configurable through three new downloadable applications. Designed to meet the demands of increasingly complex, high-speed systems, these applications support higher sniffing speeds, surpassing those of the Beagle I2C/SPI Protocol Analyzer:

I2C Analysis Application: monitor I2C traffic up to 5 MHz

SPI Analysis – Level 1 Application: monitor SPI traffic up to 24 MHz

SPI Analysis – Level 2 Application: monitor SPI traffic up to 40 MHz

Combined with the I2C and SPI Active Applications for master/slave emulation and High-speed USB and Ethernet connectivity options, the Promira Serial Platform is the most advanced all-in-one tool for high-speed debugging and development of I2C- and SPI-based systems.

Sniffing I2C Traffic at up to 5 MHz

The I2C Analysis Application allows users to non-intrusively monitor I2C communication with support for clock speeds up to 5 MHz, with bit-level timing down to 100 ns resolution. With the Data Center Software, users can view and save a real-time capture of transactions, including data packets, timing, and other protocol-level details, allowing engineers to quickly identify communication issues. Data Center Software provides insight into:

• START and STOP conditions: Marks the beginning and end of a communication session.
• Repeated START: Initiates a new communication without releasing the bus.
• Address bytes: Captures both 7-bit and 10-bit addresses.
• Read/Write: Indicates whether the operation is a read or write.
• ACK/NACKs: Acknowledgment or non-acknowledgment signals from the receiver.
• Data bytes: The actual data being communicated.
• Timing violations: Detects any deviations from the standard timing parameters.
• Circular Buffer: The circular buffer feature allows users to capture data for hours and days on end.

View our I2C Sniffing with the Promira Serial Platform video here.

I2C data capture using the Promira Serial Platform with I2C Analysis Application in Data Center Software

Sniffing SPI Traffic at up to 40 MHz

The SPI Analysis – Level 1 Application enables non-intrusive monitoring of SPI communication, supporting clock speeds up to 24 MHz, bit-level timing down to 20 ns resolution, and one chip/slave select. Upgrading to SPI Analysis – Level 2 Application increases clock speed support to 40 MHz, with bit-level timing down to 10 ns resolution, making it the fastest SPI analysis offered by Total Phase. Like the I2C Analysis Application, users can view and save a real-time capture of transactions, including data packets, timing, flagged protocol errors, and other protocol-level details with the Data Center Software. Engineers can gain insight into:

• Data bytes shifted in/out (MOSI/MISO): Tracks the individual bytes being sent and received on the SPI bus.
• Multi-byte transfers: Captures sequences of data bytes that form complete SPI transactions or frames.
• Clock edges (rising/falling): Captures all transitions on the SPI clock line, providing a timing reference for data on MOSI and MISO.
• Timing between transactions: Measures the intervals between consecutive communications.
• Circular Buffer: The circular buffer feature allows users to capture data for hours and days on end.

Debugging High-Speed I2C and SPI in Modern Embedded Designs

As embedded designs become more complex, engineers are moving to faster serial buses to keep up with higher data demands. I2C systems are no longer limited to 100 kHz or 400 kHz. Many now operate in Fast-mode Plus (1 MHz), or High-speed mode (3.4 MHz). Similarly, SPI is used in high-performance and next-generation systems operating at high clock speeds, allowing peripherals to quickly send and receive data for rapid configuration and high-rate streaming.

High-speed use cases often used in modern embedded systems include:

• Memory devices such as SPI flash and EEPROMs, which require fast data transfers for system boot and code storage.
• Imaging systems and multi-sensor boards, where many sensors work together and frequently need rapid SPI or I2C updates.
• IoT and consumer devices that combine multiple fast sensors and controllers on shared buses.

To debug these systems effectively, engineers need tools that can keep up without losing accuracy. The Promira Serial Platform, equipped with I2C and SPI Analysis Applications, supports monitoring high-speed buses, providing reliable visibility into all bus activity and capturing every transaction accurately.

With this new release, developers can now capture high-speed I2C and SPI data with ease, enabling faster and easier debugging of today’s advanced embedded systems.

For more information on our tools, including the Promira Serial Platform’s I2C and SPI Active Applications, please email us at sales@totalphase.com or request a demo.