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translatorICs

translatorICs are integrated circuits that translate electrical signals between two domains with different voltage levels or signaling standards. They enable devices to communicate safely by converting voltage amplitudes and timing while protecting components from damage.

Most translatorICs are voltage-level translators connecting two rails, commonly called VCCA and VCCB. They can be

Many employ auto-direction sensing and buffering to minimize delay and prevent bus contention. They are widely

Applications include connecting microcontrollers to sensors, memories, and displays across different voltage domains, as well as

Selection considerations include allowed voltage ranges, whether translation is bidirectional, required speed and propagation delay, input/output

bidirectional
or
unidirectional,
and
support
ranges
from
about
1.2
V
to
5.5
V
with
data
rates
from
a
few
kb/s
to
tens
of
Mbps,
depending
on
the
device.
used
on
open-drain
buses
such
as
I2C,
where
pull-ups
remain
on
both
sides,
but
they
also
support
other
digital
interfaces.
bridging
buses
in
embedded
systems,
consumer
electronics,
automotive,
and
industrial
equipment.
impedance
and
leakage,
power
consumption,
and
whether
I2C/SMBus
compliance
or
protocol
bridging
is
needed.