I²C, SMBus and hardware monitoring references

This document contains all kinds of useful references to I²C and SMBus documents and implementations, and to hardware sensors documentation and implementations. Please report any other references you have found!

• I²C
  • I²C FAQ
  • Another I²C FAQ
  • Yet another I²C FAQ
  • Philips, the I²C bus inventors
    This site contains many example programs.
  • Simon Vogl's I²C for Linux page
  • Simon's I²C newsgroup
• SMBus
  • SMBus specification documents
    Includes version 1.1 and version 2.0 documents.
• I²C and SMBus implementations
  • ALi (M1533, M1535, M1535D, M1543C)
    ALi chipsets include SMBus adapters, integrated with many other functions.
    Datasheets available on request.
  • Intel (PIIX4, 82443MX, i801, i810, i810E, i815)
    Intel SMBus adapter, integrated with many other functions.
    Datasheets available for download.
  • Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS5595, SiS630, SiS645, SiS961)
    No datasheet found.
  • VIA (VT85C586B, VT82C596, VT82C596B, VT82C686A, VT82C686B, VT8231, VT8233, VT8233A)
    VIA I²C adapters, integrated with many other functions (south bridge). Each south bridge may be used in many chipsets. To know which south bridge is used in your VIA chipset, use this table.
    Datasheets available on request.
• Hardware monitoring chips
  • Analog Devices (ADM1021, ADM1021A, ADM1022, ADM1023, ADM1024, ADM1025, ADM1025A, ADM9240)
    Datasheets available for download.
  • Genesys Logic (GL518, GL520, GL523)
    No datasheet available.
  • Hewlett Packard (Maxilife)
    Datasheets only under NDA.
  • Linear Technologies (LTC1710)
    Datasheets available for download (choose "Special Functions").
  • Maxim IC (includes Dallas Semiconductor) (DS75, DS1621, DS1625, DS1775, DS1780, MAX1617, MAX1617A)
    Datasheets available for download.
  • Myson (MTP008)
    No datasheet available.
  • National Semiconductor (LM75, LM757, LM78, LM78J, LM79, LM80, LM84, LM87, LM92)
    Datasheets available for download.
  • Silicon Integrated Systems (SIS5595, SIS950)
    No datasheet available.
  • Texas Instruments (THMC10, THMC50)
    Datasheets available for download.
  • VIA (VT82C686A, VT82C686B, VT8231, VT1211)
    VIA bridges and chips which include integrated sensors.
    Datasheets available on request.
  • Winbond (W83781D, W83782D, W83783S, W83627HF, W83697HF)
    Datasheets available for download for most chips.
• Other protocol information
  • IPMI documentation
    IPMI (intelligent platform management interface), a standard for hardware monitor chip reading.
• Hardware monitoring applications using the lm_sensors package
  Also see the prog/ directory in the lm_sensors package for sample applications.
  • Freshmeat search for "Lm_sensors" brings up a good starter list
  • A web-based hardware monitor (tellerstats)
    This is created by Phil Edelbrock, one of our main project contributors (Now defunct, but still viewable). An updated version is now included in the lm_sensors package.
  • asfatm
    Afterstep fan and temperature monitor
  • asftavm
    Afterstep fan, temperature, and voltage monitor. An enhancement of asfatm.
  • CheapI2C
    A real-time linux I2C bus protocol capture tool using the parallel port.
  • Dogsled
    A tool to manage and monitor Linux clusters.
  • GLS
    Stijn Jonker's program to make nice graphs of the lm_sensors output. Recommended. Requires mysql package. (dead link? please report new location)
  • gpdial_applet
    A Gnome applet that displays a specific number from a file on the Gnome panel. By configuring it for a specific sensor file in /proc, you get a sensor reading. Requires fam and fam++.
  • GnomeSensors
    Brendon Humphrey's Gnome display program for lm_sensors. Nice. Recommended. (dead link? please report new location)
  • Gsensor
    GTK app (in Italian).
  • klm
    Brendon Humphrey's KDE display program for lm_sensors. (dead link? please report new location)
  • LCD4Linux
    Displays kernel information on an external LCD.
  • MonitorSensors
    Daniel Schudel's Gnome display program for lm_sensors. Requires GTK--. (dead link? please report new location)
  • Procmeter
    A comprehensive system monitoring package. Nice desktop app. Recommended.
  • Sens2web
    A Perl script to generate a web page of sensor readings.
  • Sensor Sweep Applet
    A configurable Gnome Panel Applet.
  • Sensors Server
    Nice client/server application with a html-embedded Java applet.
  • sentinelle
    A daemon which warns you when your sensor readings reach critical values.
  • Thermal
    A simple set of scripts to plot LM75 temperatures using gnuplot. Similar to tellerstats. (dead link? please report new location)
  • wmsensors and wmlm78
    wmlm78 and wmsensors are graphical extensions of lm_sensors, which can be docked in Window Manager. By Adrian Baugh.
  • wmsensors for W83697HF
    By J. D.
• Other hardware monitoring implementations (NOT using lm_sensors)
  • Motherboard Monitor
    A very comprehensive package for Windows. Supports many many devices. Also has a great database of motherboards.
  • Alexander Larsson's lm78 module
    This is the original module lm_sensors is based upon.
  • Ronald Schmidt's lm78 module
  • Beowulf project lm78 module
    Written by Erik Hendriks. This Nasa site may have a newer version. There is also SCMS Cluster Management for Beowulf clusters available, which supports the LM78 through the above kernel module. (dead link? please report new location)
  • txwd, another lm78 module
  • András Major's LM75 module, and graphical monitor for it
  • Solaris drivers for the LM78
  • Beta SMBus access through the BIOS interface
• Other useful tools
  • CPUBurn
    CPU-heating program to stress-test marginally-cooled systems and test lm_sensors. Highly recommended.
  • Round Robin Database (RRDTool)
    The RRD tool is a database for readings taken over time, such as sensor data. The lm_sensors package contains scripts to create and update an RRD database and graphically display the data on webpages.
• White papers and other things
  • Designing with SMBus 2.0
    A great introduction to SMBus 2.0 and the differences with version 1.x.
  • Alert Standard Format Specification
    A new standard for system management messages using the SMBus and passing this information to remote management devices. From the Distributed Management Task Force.
  • lm_sensors mailing list archive
    This is the mailing list archive for sensors@stimpy.netroedge.com, the developer's mailing list. The archive contains messages since October 28, 2001.
  • Recursive Make considered Harmful
    A paper on which the version 2 Makefile is based
  • Building a temperature sensor using a thermistor
    An article on the 3D Hardware site.
  • NTC Thermistor Guide
    A comprehensive description of the physics and mathematics of NTC Thermistors
  • Standard Manufacturers Identification Code
    The official list of Manufacturer IDs for EEPROMs.
  • Guide to Temperature Sensors
    General information.
  • Measuring temperatures on computer chips with speed and accuracy
    The advantages of thermal diodes over traditional thermistors.
  • A chip you can use...
    An article detailing the features of the Analog Devices ADM9240.
  • Linux Hardware Stability Guide
    A nice article about using lm_sensors for diagnosing hardware problems.