PCA9600D,118 - 1 MHz I2C-bus Buffer/ReDriver | NXP | 8-SO
MPN: PCA9600D,118 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1.85 | $1.85 |
| 10 | $1.62 | $16.20 |
| 100 | $1.38 | $138.00 |
| 500 | $1.18 | $590.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.02 | $1,020.00 |
PCA9600D,118 Overview
What is an I²C bus buffer? An I²C-bus buffer/ReDriver is a dedicated interface IC that sits between two bus segments to overcome the 400 pF capacitive limit of standard I²C. By isolating capacitance, a buffer allows engineers to extend bus length, add more nodes, use lower-cost cabling, or bridge between logic-voltage domains. Buffers/ReDrivers belong to the interface IC hierarchy: interface IC > bus buffer > I²C extender > signal conditioning, and are widely used in industrial backplanes, sensor arrays, and LED lighting chains where long cable runs would otherwise exceed the bus's RC budget.
Key features of the PCA9600 include an operating supply voltage range from 2.5 V to 15 V on the low-voltage (standard I²C) side, with logic-level translation capability through the dual-rail architecture. The part is specified for -40 °C to +85 °C operation and offers high-impedance logic pins that prevent bus latching during plug-in or brown-out events. The device is bus-isolating rather than bus-repeating, so it cannot sink the I²C pull-up current from both sides simultaneously—designers must provide pull-ups on each side.
Architecturally, the PCA9600 uses an internal pass-FET-style transmission gate with direction-sense amplifiers that detect which side is driving and steer current accordingly without requiring an external direction-control pin. The result is a drop-in, transparent bus extender that does not occupy an I²C address and does not appear as a node. Compared to discrete MOSFET plus pull-up solutions, the PCA9600 guarantees matched thresholds, controlled rise/fall times, and known hot-swap behavior across temperature.
Common applications include industrial control backplanes, large-display LED driver chains, remote sensor arrays, and any system where the I²C master sits on one PCB and the slaves are several meters away on a cable or harness. The PCA9600D,118 ships on 13-inch tape and reel and is fully RoHS compliant, targeting high-reliability commercial and industrial designs.
When designing with this part, pay close attention to the pull-up placement: each bus segment requires its own pull-up resistor sized for that segment's capacitance and the target rise time. Designers commonly pair the PCA9600 with 4.7 kΩ pull-ups on the master side and 1 kΩ to 2.2 kΩ pull-ups on the high-drive side to handle the larger bus capacitance.
Drop-in alternatives for PCA9600D,118 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with PCA9600D,118 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Function, Package, Number of Channels, RoHS Status, Supply Voltage Range.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
PCA9600D
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PCA9605D,118
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
P82B96TD,118
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
P82B715TD,118
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
PCA9600D,118 Specifications
| Function | Dual bidirectional I²C-bus buffer / ReDriver |
| Number of Channels | 2 (SDA + SCL) |
| Maximum Bus Frequency | 1 MHz |
| Maximum Bus Capacitance | 4000 pF |
| Supply Voltage (Vcc side, low-voltage) | 2.5 V to 15 V |
| Bus Protocol Compatibility | Standard, Fast, Fast-mode Plus (Fm+) I²C-bus |
| Direction Control | Internal (no DIR pin required) |
| Latching Behavior | Non-latching |
| Operating Temperature | -40 °C to +85 °C |
| Package | 8-pin SO (SOIC-8 / PDSO8) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| MSL Level | 1 (unlimited) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
| Pin Count | 8 |
PCA9600D,118 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VCC — Supply voltage (2.5 V to 15 V) |
| Pin 2 | SDA/SCL ref — Logic reference for internal direction sensing |
| Pin 3 | Sx (low-voltage side) — Standard I²C SDA or SCL pin, master-side segment |
| Pin 4 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 5 | Sy (high-drive side) — High-drive I²C SDA or SCL pin, slave/cable segment |
| Pin 6 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 7 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
| Pin 8 | NC — Not connected (per datasheet) |
Typical Applications
PCA9600D,118 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial I²C Backplane Buffering, LED Display Driver Chains, Remote Sensor Array Extension, Logic Voltage Level Translation for I²C, Point-of-Sale and Embedded Terminal Cabling, Hot-Swap Service / Field-Replaceable Modules.
Industrial I²C Backplane Buffering
The PCA9600D,118 is ideal for industrial backplanes where multiple PCBs are connected by a long bus carrying I²C traffic. Its 1 MHz maximum bus frequency and 4000 pF bus-capacitance tolerance let engineers run cable-style backplanes that exceed the standard 400 pF I²C limit. The 2.5 V to 15 V supply range provides tolerance to noisy 24 V industrial rails when paired with a local regulator. Each bus segment needs its own pull-up resistors—typically 4.7 kΩ on the master side and 1 to 2.2 kΩ on the high-drive side—to meet rise/fall time budgets across temperature.
Recommended
LED Display Driver Chains
Large LED matrix displays and addressable LED strips require I²C control across long daisy-chained cable harnesses that easily exceed 400 pF. The PCA9600D,118's 4000 pF drive capability and 1 MHz bus speed make it well suited for driving LED driver ICs such as the NXP PCA9635 or PCA9685 across meter-long cables. Placed at the input of each LED-driver cluster, it isolates the master I²C from cluster capacitance, preventing rise-time violations. The non-latching behavior also avoids the stuck-bus fault that plagues poorly designed extenders when cables are hot-plugged during service.
Recommended
Remote Sensor Array Extension
Distributed sensor arrays in building automation, agriculture, or HVAC systems place I²C sensors meters from the master MCU. The PCA9600D,118 lets engineers run a single twisted-pair or ribbon cable to a remote sensor PCB and extend I²C beyond the standard capacitance budget without changing the master firmware. The bidirectional auto-direction sensing means no extra GPIO is needed for control, freeing MCU pins. Pair with 3.3 V sensors on the master side and 5 V-tolerant sensors on the remote side for level translation up to 15 V.
Recommended
Logic Voltage Level Translation for I²C
The PCA9600D,118 doubles as a robust I²C level translator between 2.5 V / 3.3 V master logic and 5 V / 12 V / 15 V slave logic. The dual-rail design isolates grounds and prevents back-powering of the master when slaves sit at higher rails. The 2.5 V to 15 V supply range covers nearly all legacy industrial voltages without needing a separate level-shifter IC. Designers must place pull-ups on each rail at the appropriate voltage level, and the PCA9600 will pass logic transitions up to 1 MHz with controlled rise/fall times.
Recommended
Point-of-Sale and Embedded Terminal Cabling
Point-of-sale terminals, kiosks, and embedded payment systems route I²C between a mainboard and a remote display, keypad, or NFC reader via internal cabling. The PCA9600D,118 isolates the capacitance of these harnesses and prevents noise from the display inverter or NFC antenna from coupling back into the master I²C bus. Its -40 °C to +85 °C operating range covers indoor commercial environments. The SOIC-8 footprint is small enough to fit on a piggyback daughter board that can be added to existing designs without major PCB rework.
Recommended
Hot-Swap Service / Field-Replaceable Modules
In telecom, datacom, and modular industrial systems, FRUs (field-replaceable units) are often inserted into a live backplane. The PCA9600D,118's non-latching architecture combined with proper pull-up design prevents the bus from latching low when a module is hot-plugged. Pair it with the PCA9605D,118 instead if you also need stuck-bus recovery logic. The 8-pin SOIC package fits in tight module-edge areas, and the part's 15 V tolerance handles common 12 V backplane rails without extra protection.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for PCA9600D,118 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | PCA9600D | PCA9605D,118 | P82B96TD,118 | P82B715TD,118 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors |
| Package | SOIC-8 (PDSO8) | SOIC-8 (PDSO8) - same | SOIC-8 - same | SOIC-8 - same | SOIC-8 - same |
| Maximum Bus Frequency | 1 MHz | 1 MHz | 1 MHz | 400 kHz | 400 kHz |
| Maximum Bus Capacitance | 4000 pF | 4000 pF | 4000 pF | 4000 pF | 4000 pF |
| Supply Voltage Range | 2.5 V to 15 V | 2.5 V to 15 V | 2.5 V to 15 V | 2.5 V to 15 V | 3.0 V to 12 V |
| Stuck-Bus Recovery | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Hot-Swap Tolerant | Yes (non-latching) | Yes (non-latching) | Yes (with recovery) | Yes | Limited |
Key Differentiators
- 1 MHz bus frequency vs 400 kHz on legacy P82B96 (vs P82B96TD,118)
- Higher 4000 pF bus capacitance tolerance with Fm+ rise times (vs PCA9605D,118)
- Wide 2.5 V to 15 V supply supports level translation up to legacy rails (vs P82B715TD,118)
Design Notes
Place pull-up resistors on BOTH the master-side and the high-drive-side bus segments, sized for each segment's capacitance. For the high-drive side with up to 4000 pF, use 1 kΩ to 2.2 kΩ pull-ups; for the standard master side, 4.7 kΩ is typical. Keep the trace from the PCA9600D,118 to each bus pin short (under 25 mm) to minimize stray capacitance and reflection on rising edges.
Do not assume the PCA9600D,118 powers its own pull-ups—it does not. Designers forgetting pull-ups on either side see the bus stuck low or fail rise-time budgets. Also, do not place the PCA9600 mid-bus with no local decoupling; add a 100 nF X7R bypass cap directly at VCC pin 1 and a 10 µF bulk cap on the supply rail. Failure to bypass causes oscillation on direction-sense amplifiers under heavy load steps.
For cable runs longer than ~1 m, use shielded twisted pair or at minimum twisted pair with a ground drain wire. The PCA9600D,118 is robust but does not actively suppress common-mode noise; cable shielding plus proper grounding prevents radiated-noise pickup from motors or relays. If common-mode noise is severe, consider upgrading to the PCA9617ADPJ differential I²C extender instead, which uses differential signaling over CAT5-style cables.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free compliance per NXP product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified; the PCA9600 is intended for commercial/industrial applications.
