“When it comes to microcontrollers, it’s easy to run out of IO pins before you run out of programming space. Back in 1982, NXP Semiconductor (formerly known as Philips Semiconductor) came up with a solution called Inter-Integrated Circuit, or I2C. With this technology, designers are able to connect up to 127 devices using just two pins for clock and data. I2C not only frees up I/O pins but also maintains the measurement from the source to the device reading the measurement. With analog outputs, the output is susceptible to noise, which will need to be filtered through hardware or software. Because I2C is digital, noise can often be ignored, but that doesn’t mean it’s problem free, and there are design considerations that need be addressed — no pun intended.”