back to glossary

Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)

maker

Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) is a synchronous serial communication protocol used for short-distance communication, primarily in embedded systems.

expanded

SPI is a full-duplex communication protocol used to connect microcontrollers with peripherals such as sensors, SD cards, and shift registers. Its application allows for synchronous data transfer over short distances, typically within a single circuit board, where precise timing and high-speed data transfer, up to several megabits per second, are required. SPI operates through a master-slave architecture where one master device can control multiple slave devices via separate chip select lines.

examples

Connecting an MCP3008 analog-to-digital converter to a Raspberry Pi using SPI

Common in maker projects where analog sensor data needs to be read by a Raspberry Pi for processing, providing fast and efficient data transfer.

Interfacing a ST7735R-based color LCD with an Arduino using SPI

Utilized in projects requiring display capabilities, allowing the Arduino to send image data to the screen quickly for rendering via SPI.

related terms