I3C: The Next-Generation Serial Communication Bus

If you're designing electronic circuits or embedded systems using sensors and microcontrollers, you've almost certainly used I²C before. But have you considered its successor? I3C is a two-wire serial communication bus that brings several improvements, including speed and power efficiency. Watch the Elektor webinar below to learn more about it!

The webinar is presented by experts from the MIPI Alliance Tim McKee, Michele Scarlatella and Eyuel Zewdu Teferi. All three speak on behalf of MIPI and also hold senior positions at Intel or STMicroelectronics. The video first explains the technical motivations and architectural enhancements behind I3C. You’ll learn how it consolidates I²C, SPI, and UART interfaces into a single bus with dynamic address assignment and special features such as “in-band” interrupts and “hot-join” capabilities. Key technical gains include bitrates up to 11.1 Mbps in standard mode and up to 100 Mbps using multi-lane modes, all while reducing pin count and energy usage.

Compatibility with legacy I²C devices is preserved. The video outlines electrical specifications, and introduces powerful features like the Common Command Codes (CCC) and timing synchronization. Engineers curious about implementation will appreciate the discussion of system-level considerations and the final Q&A session! Will I3C fit in your future designs? Watch the video below and decide for yourself:

Explore More Communication Buses

Want to learn more about I²C, I3C, SPI, UART, or electronics in general? Check out all the educational videos and tap into the knowledge of experts on our Elektor YouTube channel and our Elektor Industry YouTube channel. Subscribe to Elektor's weekly newsletter to receive a regular flow of expert tech knowledge and insights.