NXP Semiconductors PCA9617A Level Translating Fm+ I2C-Bus Repeater

The 2.2V to 5.5V bus port B drivers have the static level offset, while the adjustable voltage bus port A drivers eliminate the static offset voltage. This results in a LOW on the port B translating into a nearly 0 V LOW on the port A which accommodates the smaller voltage swings of lower voltage logic.

The static offset design of the port B PCA9617A I/O drivers prevents them from being connected to the static or incremented offset of other bus buffers. Port A of two or more PCA9617As can be connected together, however, to allow a star topography with port A on the common bus, and port A can be connected directly to any other buffer with static or incremented offset outputs. Multiple PCA9617As can be connected in series, port A to port B, with no build-up in offset voltage with only time of flight delays to consider.

The PCA9617A drivers are not enabled unless V_CC(A) is above 0.8V and V_CC(B) is above 2.2V. The EN pin is referenced to V_CC(B) and can also be used to turn the drivers on and off under system control. Caution should be observed to only change the state of the enable pin when the bus is idle.

The output pull-down on the port B internal buffer LOW is set for approximately 0.55V, while the input threshold of the internal buffer is set about 90mV lower (0.45V). When the port B I/O is driven LOW internally, the LOW is not recognized as a LOW by the input. This prevents a latching condition from occurring. The output pull-down on port A drives a hard LOW and the input level is set at 0.35V_CC(A) to accommodate the need for a lower LOW level in systems where the low voltage side supply voltage is as low as 0.8V.