Add low-power I2C repeat and acceleration to high-speed designs with NCA9700 and PIC18F57Q43

I2C Repeater Click is based on the NCA9700, a dual-channel bidirectional level translating I2C bus repeater/accelerator from NXP. This board is designed to extend and accelerate I2C communication between two buses while providing reliable voltage-level translation, buffering, and improved signal integrity for high-speed applications up to 1MHz (Fast-mode Plus operation). This makes I2C Repeater Click ideal for high-performance, low-power systems such as smartphones, tablets, portable medical devices, instrumentation and test equipment, IoT devices, and other power-sensitive applications where accelerated I2C communication is required. The high performance of the NCA9700 is achieved through integrated edge accelerators on all ports that speed up LOW-to-HIGH transitions of SCL and SDA signals. The NCA9700 buffers both clock and data lines while enabling up or down voltage translation between port A and port B, each independently operating from 1.08V to 3.6V to offer

flexibility for mixed-voltage systems. Each I/O pin features integrated 4.3kΩ pull-up resistors, eliminating the need for external resistors while allowing additional ones to be added to further improve rise times. Unlike devices based on pass-FET topology, the NCA9700 provides true signal buffering with no static or incremental offsets and guarantees lock-free operation thanks to its innovative buffer implementation. This Click board™ is designed in a unique format supporting the newly introduced MIKROE feature called "Click Snap." Unlike the standardized version of Click boards, this feature allows the main sensor/IC/module area to become movable by breaking the PCB, opening up many new possibilities for implementation. Thanks to the Snap feature, the NCA9700 can operate autonomously by accessing its signals directly on the pins marked 1-8. Additionally, the Snap part includes a specified and fixed screw hole position, enabling users to secure the Snap board in their desired location. In

addition to the I2C communication pins, the I2C Repeater Click also uses the EN pin that serves as the device enable input, allowing the user or system controller to activate or disable the repeater/accelerator. Besides, there is also an unpopulated J2 header at the top of the board, allowing for daisy-chaining and control of multiple Snap units in a series or in star, and their ports A and B can be exchanged. Only when the I2C clock stretching needs to be supported, the NCA9700 port A must be connected to the I2C host side and the NCA9700 port B to the I2C peripheral side. This Click board™ can be operated only with a 3.3V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. It also comes equipped with a library containing functions and example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity Nano evaluation kit is a cutting-edge hardware platform designed to evaluate microcontrollers within the PIC18-Q43 family. Central to its design is the inclusion of the powerful PIC18F57Q43 microcontroller (MCU), offering advanced functionalities and robust performance. Key features of this evaluation kit include a yellow user LED and a responsive

mechanical user switch, providing seamless interaction and testing. The provision for a 32.768kHz crystal footprint ensures precision timing capabilities. With an onboard debugger boasting a green power and status LED, programming and debugging become intuitive and efficient. Further enhancing its utility is the Virtual serial port (CDC) and a debug GPIO channel (DGI

GPIO), offering extensive connectivity options. Powered via USB, this kit boasts an adjustable target voltage feature facilitated by the MIC5353 LDO regulator, ensuring stable operation with an output voltage ranging from 1.8V to 5.1V, with a maximum output current of 500mA, subject to ambient temperature and voltage constraints.