Hardware

I2C Protocol

I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) is a synchronous, two-wire serial bus using a shared data line (SDA) and clock line (SCL), where a controller addresses multiple peripheral devices over the same pair of wires. Standard speeds range from 100 kHz to 3.4 MHz, and it is the default interface for short-range sensor wiring such as IMUs, magnetic encoders, and time-of-flight rangefinders on robot electronics.

Why it matters for physical AI

Low-cost robot builds and sensor-dense end-effectors lean heavily on I2C for wiring simplicity, though its limited speed and cable length push high-rate joints toward CAN or EtherCAT.