I2C: need to decode -- any software tools?

Thread Starter

someonesdad

Joined Jul 7, 2009
1,583
I've been asked if it's possible to write some code to decode I2C and similar serial protocol signals. Of course, I assume it is. Here's the task (let's assume the task is to decode some I2C data):

I'll be given two sampled waveforms that represent the transitions on the data and clock lines of an I2C connection (think of them as some deep scope or logic analyzer traces). I need to decode that data into the stream of information it represents.

My preference would be to find a chunk of open source software that already does this. The next preference would be to purchase a library to do such a task. My last preference is to write my own code to do this (even though I'd probably get paid to do this), mainly because I think it would be silly to write something that has probably been implemented many times already.

I have no experience with this stuff. Can anyone recommend some software tools to help with this task?
 

ErnieM

Joined Apr 24, 2011
8,377
Yeah, it's been done. Google "I2C sniffer" and you will get some useful hits.

I2C is a bit different then something like an RS-232 interface as the handshaking is build into the serial data stream, and the data packet bytes have various meanings depending on the specific device being talked or listened to. However, all streams start and end the same way with an addressing command and a stop command at the end so you can break the stream up into individual transactions.

The Wikipedia article on I2C is as good as any.
 

Thread Starter

someonesdad

Joined Jul 7, 2009
1,583
Triden: thanks -- I'll take a look at the link.

Ernie: yeah, I've found a number of such things. However, they're typically hardware-oriented things and I've got a scripting language (python) with a couple of big arrays of sampled data sitting in memory. Thus, I'm hoping to find some python or C code that interprets such information. I found Prodigy Test and sent an email to them; I wonder if there are others who do similar things.

Here's a link that describes an ISR-based decoding scheme. Maybe I'll just have to write something that simulates that. I'd much rather find an existing open source solution or buy something from someone than spend the programming effort though.
 
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