UARTSPII2C

UARTSPII2C refers to hardware and devices that implement or bridge the three common serial communication interfaces: UART, SPI, and I2C. These devices are used to connect a host processor or computer to a variety of peripherals, sensors, memories, and other ICs that speak different serial protocols. In practice, a UARTSPII2C solution can be a dedicated bridge chip, a multi-protocol interface IC, or a microcontroller with configurable peripherals that can operate in UART, SPI, or I2C modes as needed.

There are two main architectural approaches. One is a dedicated multi-protocol bridge that sits between a host interface (such as USB or a UART) and peripheral buses (SPI and I2C), sometimes including GPIO and interrupt lines. The other is a microcontroller or system-on-chip with versatile peripherals that can be configured to act as a UART, SPI master or slave, and I2C master or slave, optionally with an external bridge for host communication. These devices often provide level shifting, clock generation, and GPIOs to simplify interfacing with 3.3V or 5V systems.

Performance varies by protocol. UART commonly operates from hundreds of kilobits per second up to a few megabits per second. SPI can run at tens of megabits per second or higher depending on the device, while I2C typically ranges up to several megabits per second in Fast or Fast-mode Plus implementations. Features may include GPIO, interrupts, DMA, and support for various voltage levels to ensure compatibility with different devices.

A notable example is the FT232H, a USB-to-MPSSE device that provides UART, SPI, and I2C functionality via a single chip, illustrating how multi-protocol UART/SPI/I2C solutions are used in practice. Software support and drivers are important considerations, with options available for Linux, Windows, and macOS.

See also: Serial communication, UART, SPI, I2C, MPSSE, USB-to-serial bridge.