The MIPI Alliance has announced the release of MIPI I3C Basic v1.2 for mobile, IoT and data centre applications.

This is a scalable utility and control bus interface for connecting peripherals to a microcontroller or an application processor, streamlining integration and improving cost efficiencies. Version 1.2 reorganises the specification, with separate sections for mandatory and optional features that can be implemented based on application needs.

MIPI I3C Basic is a rich subset of the member-version MIPI I3C that is licensed on royalty-free terms. The I3C interface, introduced in 2016 and significantly updated to v1.1 in 2019, was designed to build on the key attributes of the legacy serial interfaces I²C, SPI and uart while making it easier to implement. At the same time, it offers more performance and power efficiency, and adds features that remove many of the pain points faced by developers.

MIPI I3C Basic has also been the centrepiece of several industry collaborations. It has been adopted by PCI-SIG and NVM Express as a system management bus (SMBus), by Jedec in its sideband bus and DDR5 standard, by Etsi in its Smart Secure Platform (SSP) and Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC), and is an area of focus for a MIPI liaison relationship with DMTF (Distributed Management Task Force).

Users can download the I3C Basic specification at www.mipi.org/mipi-i3c-basic-download.

MIPI I3C technology, implemented on a standard CMOS IO, uses a two-wire interface and supports in-band interrupts, reducing pin count and signal paths to offer system designers less complexity and more flexibility. It provides a typical data rate of 11.1Mbit/s, with options for higher-performance high-data-rate modes up to 100Mbit/s, a leap in performance and power efficiency compared with legacy interfaces.

Key use cases include connecting peripherals to processors in mobile and embedded devices, system debug and trace, and as a control sideband bus for DDR5 DRAM interface, SSD control interface and MIPI Camera Control Interface (CCI).

A growing list of companies and developer communities are recognising the flexibility, resilience and design benefits of MIPI I3C and I3C Basic.

The I3C product ecosystem includes microcontrollers, microprocessing units, wireless IoT SoCs, sensors and specialty ICs. Many tools are available to support development and testing, from protocol analysers to development boards to USB host adapters. Software drivers are available for Linux and the Zephyr real-time OS, and companies have provided reference implementations for their specific products.

MIPI member companies integrating MIPI I3C into their products and services include Binho, Boréas Technologies, Diodes, Microchip, Montage Technology, NXP, Prodigy Technovations, Renesas, Bosch, SmartDV Technologies India, ST Microelectronics, Synopsys, TDK InvenSense, Teledyne LeCroy and Texas Instruments.

“The MIPI I3C ecosystem has grown rapidly over the past few years, and we expect this rapid adoption to persist,” said Hezi Saar, chair of the MIPI Alliance. “Companies have embraced the I3C interface for its innovative features and substantial improvements in performance and power efficiency compared with legacy interfaces. I3C offers developers exceptional flexibility, making it suitable for a diverse range of products, from smartphones and wearables to data centre systems.”

To support developers, MIPI has added specifications to facilitate the integration of MIPI I3C, including a discovery and configuration specification, I3C host controller interface, transfer command response interface and a debug over I3C specification, all publicly available.

Also, an I3C HCI driver is available in the Linux kernel and an I3C conformance test suite is also available. Further, the newly established IO Bridges Working Group has begun development of an IOs over I3C bridge specification, expected to be completed in mid-2026.

Updated FAQs and application notes that correspond with I3C and I3C Basic v1.2 will be available soon to download on the I3C web page at www.mipi.org/specifications/i3c-sensor-specification.

The MIPI Alliance (www.mipi.org) develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries. There is at least one MIPI specification in every smartphone manufactured today. Founded in 2003, the organisation has more than 375 member companies worldwide and more than 15 active working groups delivering specifications within the extended mobile ecosystem.