1. General description
The PCA9509 is a level translating I
2
C-bus/SMBus repeater that enables processor low
voltage 2-wire serial bus to interface with standard I
2
C-bus or SMBus I/O. While retaining
all the operating modes and features of the I
2
C-bus system during the level shifts, it also
permits extension of the I
2
C-bus by providing bidirectional buffering for both the data
(SDA) and the clock (SCL) lines, thus enabling the I
2
C-bus or SMBus maximum
capacitance of 400 pF on the higher voltage side. Port A allows a voltage range from
1.35 V to V
CC(B)
1.0 V and requires no external pull-up resistors due to the internal
current source. Port B allows a voltage range from 3.0 V to 5.5 V and is overvoltage
tolerant. Both port A and port B SDA and SCL pins are high-impedance when the
PCA9509 is unpowered.
For applications where Port A V
CC(A)
is less than 1.35 V or Port B V
CC(B)
is less than 3.0 V,
use drop-in replacement PCA9509A.
The bus port B drivers are compliant with SMBus I/O levels, while port A uses a current
sensing mechanism to detect the input or output LOW signal which prevents bus lock-up.
Port A uses a 1 mA current source for pull-up and a 200 pull-down driver. This results in
a LOW on the port A accommodating smaller voltage swings. The output pull-down on the
port A internal buffer LOW is set for approximately 0.2 V, while the input threshold of the
internal buffer is set about 50 mV lower than that of the output voltage LOW. When the
port A I/O is driven LOW internally, the LOW is not recognized as a LOW by the input.
This prevents a lock-up condition from occurring. The output pull-down on the port B
drives a hard LOW and the input level is set at 0.3 of SMBus or I
2
C-bus voltage level
which enables port B to connect to any other I
2
C-bus devices or buffer.
The PCA9509 drivers are not enabled unless V
CC(A)
is above 0.8 V and V
CC(B)
is above
2.5 V. The enable (EN) pin can also be used to turn on and turn off the drivers under
system control. Caution should be observed to change only the state of the EN pin when
the bus is idle.
2. Features and benefits
Bidirectional buffer isolates capacitance and allows 400 pF on port B of the device
Voltage level translation from port A (1.35 V to V
CC(B)
1.0 V) to port B (3.0 V to 5.5 V)
Requires no external pull-up resistors on lower voltage port A
Active HIGH repeater enable input
Open-drain inputs/outputs
Lock-up free operation
Supports arbitration and clock stretching across the repeater
Accommodates Standard-mode and Fast-mode I
2
C-bus devices and multiple masters
PCA9509
Level translating I
2
C-bus/SMBus repeater
Rev. 7 — 4 November 2014 Product data sheet
