SparkFun
SparkFun Level Translator Breakout - PCA9306
The SparkFun PCA9306 Level Translator Breakout provides dual bidirectional voltage-level translation for I2C and SMBus lines. It lets you safely connect devi...
The SparkFun PCA9306 Level Translator Breakout provides dual bidirectional voltage-level translation for I2C and SMBus lines. It lets you safely connect devices operating at different logic levels — for example, a 3.3V sensor to a 5V microcontroller — without a direction pin. Simply apply your reference voltages and enable the translator.
The PCA9306 supports a low-side voltage range of 1.2–3.3V and a high-side range of 1.8–5.5V. The breakout includes a broken-out enable pin and a second ground pin for convenient wiring.
Key Features
- Dual Bidirectional Translation – Two channels for SDA and SCL (or any two signals)
- No Direction Pin – Automatic bidirectional level shifting
- Low Side – 1.2V to 3.3V (VREF1)
- High Side – 1.8V to 5.5V (VREF2)
- I2C & SMBus Compatible – Open-drain bidirectional translation
- Enable Pin – Broken out for software control
Ideal For
- Connecting 3.3V I2C sensors to 5V Arduino boards
- Mixed-voltage I2C bus systems
- Interfacing between different logic-level devices
- Any project requiring bidirectional voltage translation
Package Contents
- 1× SparkFun PCA9306 Level Translator Breakout
Resources
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- breakout
- A breakout is a small circuit board that makes a tiny or hard-to-solder component easier to connect to with standard pins. It matters because this OLED module can be wired into a microcontroller project without needing to solder directly to the display’s fine contacts.
- 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.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.
Find this product in
Brands
PCA9306 Level Translator Schematic
Schematic · 73.4 KB · Click any page to view full size
PCA9306DC Datasheet
Datasheet · 1.3 MB · Click any page to view full size
PCA9306 Breakout Schematic
Schematic · 29.8 KB · Click any page to view full size
PCA9306DC Datasheet
Datasheet · 439.6 KB · Click any page to view full size
Supplier page — sparkfun.com
Supplier Description · 581.8 KB · Click any page to view full size
Resources & Downloads
Guides, code examples, and more
Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au
