Aardvark I2C

Category

Data acquisition

Kind

source

Capabilities

StreamsAssetsCommandsOperationsEntities

Runs on

Linux x64Linux ARM64macOS Apple siliconmacOS IntelWindows x64

Read and write registers on any I2C chip through a Total Phase Aardvark adapter. You describe the chip by pasting its register table from the datasheet. No code needed.

#What you get

• Live readings — each polled register or named bit field is a channel, such as /aardvark/i2c1/gpio/input or /aardvark/i2c1/gpio/output/led0.
• Writes — registers marked writable, and their bit fields, accept values from Trellis via ch.write(path, value). A bit-field write leaves the other bits alone. Every write is recorded.
• One adapter per input, named by its Bus name.

#Setup

1. Install the Aardvark Software API from totalphase.com and plug in the adapter. Phloem detects it over USB and offers a draft with its serial filled in. You still add the register map.
2. In Inputs, add Total Phase Aardvark and fill in:

   • Bus name — a short label, e.g. i2c1

   • Adapter serial — as printed on the unit, e.g. 2239-764425. Leave empty to use the first adapter found.

   • Peripherals — the register map (JSON). For a PCA9554 I/O expander:

     Copy[{"name": "gpio", "address": 56,
       "registers": [
         {"alias": "input", "register": 0},
         {"alias": "output", "register": 1, "writable": true,
          "fields": {"led0": {"lsb": 0}}}
       ],
       "poll": ["input", "output.led0"]}]

     Key	Value
     address	7-bit I2C address
     addr_width_bytes	1 or 2
     registers	each with alias, register, transfer_bits (default 8)
     data_width_bits, data_lsb, signed	optional
     scale	optional {"gain": g, "offset": o}; value = offset + gain × raw
     endianness	big (default)
     unit, writable	per register
     fields	{"name": {"lsb": n, "width": w}}
     poll	what to read (alias or alias.field); omit to read every register

   • Bus bitrate / pull-ups / target power — the bus's electrical settings. The adapter rounds the bitrate to the nearest rate it supports.

3. Press Test connection. It reads the first polled register, so a pass means a chip answered on the bus.
4. Polled channels appear on Live. Writable registers are available in Trellis.

#Notes

• Without the Total Phase library, the connector tells you so.
• Register reads use a repeated START. Bit-field writes read, change and rewrite the whole register.
• Chips that take a command byte and reply, with no register addresses, are not supported.

#Supports

• Total Phase Aardvark I2C/SPI host adapter (I2C master, USB)
• Any register-based I2C peripheral via a pasted register map

#Connection fields

Every field the Add input form shows for this connector.

Updated November 6, 2026