45 years after the I²C patent: the story behind the two wires

On 22 October 1981, Philips filed a European patent application for a communication system between integrated circuits that would later become known worldwide as the I²C bus. Forty-five years later, the basic principle is still going strong. Two lines, one for data and one for the clock, continue to connect countless chips in embedded systems, consumer electronics, cars and industrial applications.

Source: Bits&Chips, published 2026-10-26. The summary is the Hub's own; the full story is at the source. Report a rights or accuracy concern