Posts Tagged ‘:dvi’
The 25¢ I2C Adapter
This project demonstrates a novel repurposing of the existing display control lines present on many graphics cards as an inexpensive method of interfacing computers with a variety of sensors and devices.
I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) is a two-wire serial bus typically used inside computers for low-level communication between components, but it’s also seen in robotics and hobbyist electronics for interfacing all manner of sensors, displays and actuators. I2C connections are often readily available on microcontrollers and esoteric embedded systems, but there’s traditionally little call for end-user access to this bus on mainstream personal computers. Lately though, netbooks and other small form-factor systems are increasingly being put to use as the high-powered “brains” of many homebrew projects. To sense and react in the physical world, a USB to I2C adapter (or “bridge”) device is typically used, often at considerable expense.