Adafruit
Adafruit Qwiic / Stemma QT 5 Port Hub
The Adafruit Qwiic / STEMMA QT 5-Port Hub is a passive I2C splitter that lets you connect up to five STEMMA QT or Qwiic devices in a star topology instead of...
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The Adafruit Qwiic / STEMMA QT 5-Port Hub is a passive I2C splitter that lets you connect up to five STEMMA QT or Qwiic devices in a star topology instead of a long daisy chain. This reduces I2C line capacitance and gives you more flexibility in your mechanical layout.
The board has five vertical JST SH 1 mm connectors in a row, all sharing the same power, ground, SDA, and SCL lines. Breadboard breakout pins are included if you prefer wired connections. Mounting holes let you secure the hub to any enclosure or project, and a small power LED confirms connectivity.
Key Features
- 5 STEMMA QT / Qwiic Ports – Vertical JST SH connectors in a row
- Star Topology – Reduces I2C bus capacitance compared to long daisy chains
- Passive Hub – All ports share the same I2C bus (power, GND, SDA, SCL)
- Breadboard Breakout – Header pins included for breadboard prototyping
- Mounting Holes – Secure the hub to any project or enclosure
- Power LED – Visual confirmation of bus connectivity
- No Soldering Required – Plug and go with STEMMA QT / Qwiic cables
Ideal For
- Connecting multiple I2C sensors to a single bus
- Star-topology I2C layouts for reduced capacitance
- Projects where mechanical layout benefits from a central connection point
- Rapid prototyping with STEMMA QT / Qwiic accessories
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- breakout
- A breakout board carries a small or fine-pitched component and brings its connections out to standard, breadboard- and header-friendly pins. Describing a part as a breakout means it can be wired into a project without soldering directly to the component's tiny contacts.
- capacitance
- Capacitance is the amount of electrical charge a capacitor can store, usually measured in farads such as uF. Choosing the right capacitance value matters because it affects how well a circuit filters power, handles timing, or stores short bursts of energy.
- Daisy chain
- A wiring layout where devices are connected one after another in a line. It matters because long or awkward chains can make projects messy or less convenient, while a hub lets several devices branch out from one point.
- GND
- GND is the ground or reference connection (0 V) for a circuit. When connecting two devices together, their grounds must be joined so both agree on what counts as a low or high signal.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- I2C address
- An I2C address is the number a device uses so a microcontroller can tell it apart from other devices on the same I2C bus. It matters because two devices with the same fixed address may conflict if used together.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.
- Qwiic
- Qwiic is a plug-in connector system for I2C devices that uses small 4-pin cables, so you can connect compatible sensors without soldering. It matters because your controller or adapter also needs Qwiic, or you will need a cable or breakout to wire it up.
- STEMMA
- A plug-and-cable connection system used on some maker electronics boards to make wiring simpler. If a product uses STEMMA, you need the matching cable or connector type to plug it in without soldering.
- STEMMA QT
- A small plug-in connector system for I2C boards that lets you connect compatible sensors and controllers without soldering. It matters because it can make wiring faster and less error-prone, especially when adding several small modules to a project.
Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au
