$4.6MIL PRE-SEED ANNOUNCEMENT

Level shifters

Pick level shifters by bus behavior: I2C/open-drain, auto-direction push-pull, direction-controlled buffers, or 3 V to 5 V logic. They are not universal adapters.

I2C/open-drain shifters

I2C · Qwiic · STEMMA QT · SMBus

Best branch for pull-up/open-drain buses and connectorised 5 V to 3 V I2C problems. Channel count and connector shape still need checking.

from £2.954 boardsIn stock

TXB auto-direction shifters

auto-direction push-pull logic

Useful for compatible logic signals when automatic direction is helpful. Avoid I2C pull-up buses and high-capacitance lines unless the exact source says they are supported.

from $3.503 boardsIn stock

TXS auto-direction shifters

open-drain and push-pull logic

TXS0104E/TXS0108E branch for mixed open-drain and push-pull translator jobs. Speed limits differ by mode, so do not compare only channel count.

from $3.503 boardsIn stock

Can I swap these?

Pick the board you have - we'll show what we know about swapping it.

Known swap options (1)

General board checks (6)
  • Identify the signal first: I2C/open-drain, Qwiic/STEMMA QT, UART, SPI, GPIO, one-way LED data, or actual load switching.
  • Choose the translator family for that signal type, not just for the number of channels.
  • Check voltage rails, shared ground, channel count, direction pin or auto-direction behavior, pull-ups and bus capacitance.
  • For I2C/Qwiic/STEMMA QT, prefer I2C-safe translators such as BSS138/PCA9306/QT shifters over TXB0108 or 74LVC245-style buffers.
  • For faster push-pull signals, confirm clock rate, edge rate, cable length and capacitive load against the exact source page or datasheet.
  • Do not use a logic level converter as a motor, relay, LED power or high-side load driver.

Parts in this group

I2C/open-drain shifters

Adafruit 4-channel I2C-safe Bi-directional Logic Level Converter

4-channel BSS138/FET pull-up level shifter. Good fit for I2C and slow bidirectional logic between low/high rails; not a fast buffer or load driver.

£3.90

Adafruit QT 5V to 3V Level Shifter Breakout - STEMMA QT / Qwiic

Connectorised I2C level shifter for using 3 V Qwiic/STEMMA QT devices from a 5 V controller. Best fit is I2C bus protection, not general GPIO/load driving.

$2.95

SparkFun Logic Level Converter - Bi-Directional

SparkFun BSS138-style bidirectional converter. Good low-cost choice for stepping 5 V signals down and 3.3 V signals up on slow/bidirectional logic lines.

$3.95

SparkFun Level Translator Breakout - PCA9306

PCA9306 dual bidirectional I2C/SMBus translator. A reasonable reviewed option when the problem is specifically I2C or SMBus between low and high reference voltages.

$5.25

TXS auto-direction shifters

Fermion: TXS0104E 4-Bit Level Translator (Breakout)

TXS0104E 4-bit auto-direction translator. DFRobot positions it for I2C, UART, SPI and OneWire with separate speed limits for push-pull and open-drain use.

$3.50

Fermion: TXS0108E 8-Bit Level Translator (Breakout)

TXS0108E 8-bit auto-direction translator. More channels and higher advertised push-pull speed than TXS0104E, but still needs bus, rail and capacitance checks.

$4.20

SparkFun Level Shifter - 8 Channel (TXS0108E)

SparkFun TXS0108E breakout. Supports open-drain and push-pull applications with different max data rates; verify signal type and rail range before swapping.

$5.57

Direction-controlled buffers

74LVC245 - Breadboard Friendly 8-bit Logic Level Shifter

74LVC245 8-bit direction-controlled buffer. Good for SPI, serial, parallel and similar one-way logic paths; not for bidirectional/pull-up buses such as I2C or 1-Wire.

$1.50

74AHCT125 - Quad Level-Shifter (3V to 5V)

74AHCT125 quad buffer aimed at 3 V to 5 V logic, including NeoPixel-style data use. Treat as one-way buffered logic, not bidirectional I2C.

$1.50

SparkFun Logic Level Converter - Single Supply

Single-supply SparkFun logic-level and power-supply translator. Keep separate from TXB/TXS/BSS138 parts until voltage range, direction and current budget are reviewed.

$18.95

Industrial 12 V signal converters

2-Channel Level Converter (12V to 3.3V)

2-channel optocoupler-isolated converter for 12 V field signals into 3.3 V logic. Treat as industrial signal conditioning, not a drop-in replacement for I2C/TXB/TXS logic shifters.

$6.90

2-Channel Level Converter (12V to 5V)

2-channel optocoupler-isolated converter for 12 V field signals into 5 V logic. Useful when the problem is PLC/sensor-level 12 V signaling, not board-to-board 3.3 V/5 V buses.

$6.90

4-Channel Level Converter (12V to 3.3V)

4-channel optocoupler-isolated 12 V to 3.3 V converter. Same industrial branch as DFR0911 with more channels; check polarity, response time and input type before substituting.

$8.90

4-Channel Level Converter (12V to 5V)

4-channel optocoupler-isolated 12 V to 5 V converter. Same industrial branch as DFR0912 with more channels; not a generic bidirectional GPIO shifter.

$8.90

Other matching parts

4-channel I2C-safe Bi-directional Logic Level Converter

BSS138/FET-style 4-channel bidirectional level converter. Useful for I2C and slower digital signals; not a high-speed push-pull bus default.

$3.95

74AHCT14 - Logic Level Inverter / Level Shifter

74AHCT14 inverter/buffer used as a one-way 3V-to-5V style logic helper when inverted outputs are acceptable. Not a bidirectional level converter.

$0.95

MIKROE LLC-SPI Click

mikroBUS SPI-oriented level-converter Click board. Treat as functionally related, not a drop-in replacement for bare breakout boards.

$9.95

MIKROE LLC-I2C Click

mikroBUS I2C-oriented level-converter Click board. Treat as functionally related, not a drop-in replacement for bare breakout boards.

$9.95