NXP Semiconductors SC18IS600IBS,157

Overview

SC18IS600IBS,157 from NXP Semiconductors is an SPI-to-I²C bridge IC that functions as a slave on the SPI bus and master on the I²C bus, enabling microcontrollers without native I²C peripherals to communicate with I²C slave devices. It operates from 2.4 V to 3.6 V, supports SPI Mode 3 at up to 1.2 Mbit/s, and drives the I²C bus at 400 kbit/s with full protocol handling including arbitration and timing.

For engineers reviewing the SC18IS600IBS,157 datasheet, SC18IS600IBS,157 pinout, SC18IS600IBS,157 application, or SC18IS600IBS,157 equivalent, key selection considerations include its TSSOP16 package, 96-byte transmit/receive buffers, four programmable GPIOs, power-down mode with WAKEUP/IO4 control, and 5 V tolerant I/O pins for mixed-voltage system interfacing.

Technical Context

The SC18IS600IBS,157 implements a dedicated hardware I²C-bus controller with internal oscillator (7.3728 MHz ±1%), supporting master-transmit and master-receive operations. It handles all I²C-specific sequences-START/STOP, ACK/NACK, clock stretching-and includes a 16-bit time-out down counter driven by a 57.6 kHz oscillator.

Its SPI interface operates strictly as a slave with fixed Mode 3 (CPOL=1, CPHA=0), requiring chip select (CS) assertion for command framing. Internal register access (IOConfig, I2CStat, I2CClk, etc.) enables runtime configuration of GPIO modes, I²C clock rate (7.2 kHz to 369 kHz), and time-out enable/disable via the I2CTO register.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

TSSOP16 package (SOT403-1), 16-pin plastic thin shrink small outline, 0.65 mm pitch, 4.4 mm body width.

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar SPI-to-I²C bridge applications.

Compared with PCA9665BS,118 and MAX7357ATL+, the SC18IS600IBS,157 uniquely delivers SPI slave-to-I²C master functionality in a compact TSSOP16 package with integrated buffers, power management, and GPIO flexibility - making it the only viable option for resource-constrained microcontrollers needing native I²C offload without bus redesign.

Availability

SC18IS600IBS,157 is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for industrial sensor hubs, legacy MCU I²C expansion, and low-power remote nodes requiring stable component supply across extended production lifecycles.

Supply support for SC18IS600IBS,157 includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

NXP Semiconductors is a global semiconductor company specializing in secure connectivity solutions for automotive, industrial, and IoT applications.

The SC18IS600IBS,157 belongs to NXP's interface bridge product line, designed specifically to extend communication capabilities of resource-limited microcontrollers by offloading complex serial protocol translation with minimal firmware overhead.

FAQ

What is the maximum SPI clock frequency supported by the SC18IS600IBS,157?

The SC18IS600IBS,157 supports SPI clock frequencies up to 1.2 Mbit/s in Mode 3 (CPOL=1, CPHA=0). This limit is defined by internal timing margins and ensures reliable sampling of MOSI and setup/hold compliance for MISO. Exceeding this rate may cause command misreads or buffer corruption, as verified in the device's dynamic characteristics table (fSPI max = 1.2 MHz).

Does the SC18IS600IBS,157 support multi-master I²C arbitration?

No - the SC18IS600IBS,157 operates exclusively as an I²C bus master and does not implement multi-master arbitration logic. It assumes sole control of the I²C bus (SDA/SCL) and will not detect or yield to other masters. Arbitration loss is reported as an error condition (I2CStat = 0xF3), requiring host intervention to recover.

How does the power-down mode work on the SC18IS600IBS,157, and how is it exited?

The SC18IS600IBS,157 enters power-down mode upon receiving the exact SPI command sequence: 0x30 followed by 0x5A then 0xA5. Before entry, WAKEUP/IO4 must be HIGH. Exit occurs when the host pulls WAKEUP/IO4 LOW, which restarts the internal oscillator and restores SPI responsiveness within microseconds. The device retains register settings across power-down.

Can the SC18IS600IBS,157 drive standard 5 V I²C peripherals?

No - while its I/O pins (including SDA and SCL) are 5 V tolerant, the SC18IS600IBS,157 itself operates from 2.4–3.6 V and outputs only 3.3 V logic levels. To interface with 5 V I²C slaves, external level-shifting circuitry (e.g., TXB0108 or discrete MOSFET translator) is required on both SDA and SCL lines to avoid undervoltage recognition by 5 V devices.

What happens if the SC18IS600IBS,157 receives an invalid I²C slave address during a transaction?

If no device on the I²C bus acknowledges the transmitted 7-bit slave address (with R/W bit), the SC18IS600IBS,157 sets I2CStat register to 0xF1 and asserts the INT pin LOW. The host must read I2CStat to confirm the error, then initiate recovery - such as retrying the command or verifying bus wiring and slave power - since the device does not auto-retry or clear the error state autonomously.