TXS0108E from Texas Instruments is a popular 8-channel bidirectional level shifter IC, supporting speeds of up to 1.2Mbps for open-drain protocols (i.e. I2C), and 110Mbps for actively driven push-pull signals (such as SPI, UART, WS2812/WLED, etc.).
Do not confuse TXS0108E with similar chips like TXB0108E! The latter supports push-pull only and cannot be used for open-drain protocols such as I2C.
Overview
TXS0108E is a fast and robust general purpose level shifter that works equally well with open-drain protocols (i.e. I2C) and push-pull (i.e. SPI, UART). It is directionless (bidirectional), so it translates signals from either side.
The low voltage side can be in the range of 1.4-3.6V, and the high voltage side supports 1.65-5.5V. Both sides must share the same ground, and the low voltage side must never be higher than the high voltage side (LV <= HV).
TXS0108E is not a good choice for WLED/WS2812/programmable LED projects. For this, use level shifters based on chips like SN74AHCT125/245, SN74HCT14/04, or similar fast, unidirectional logic chips.
Special Features
The chip comes with ESD protection (protecting against static electricity). An output enable pin can be set to low to place all outputs in high-impedance state (disable the level shifter).
Built-In Pullup Resistors
When the output is driving low, both voltage outputs have a 40kΩ pullup resistor. When the output is driving high (default idle state for i.e. I2C), the pullup resistor is 4kΩ which is sufficient for “fast” I2C (400kHz).
Wiring
A-Port: Low Voltage
The A port supports voltages in the range of 1.4-3.6V:
| Pin | Description |
|---|---|
VA |
positive rail (connect positive voltage of lower voltage system) |
A1- A7 |
signal pins (8 channel) of lower voltage system |
B-Port: High Voltage
The B port supports voltages in the range of 1.65-5.5V:
| Pin | Description |
|---|---|
VB |
positive rail (connect positive voltage of higher voltage system) |
B1- B7 |
signal pins (8 channel of higher voltage system) |
Common Ground
Support the common ground of both systems to GND.
Enable Pin
When pin OE is pulled to GND, the level shifter can be disabled. Leave this pin floating to keep the device enabled.
Materials
Slow Website?
This website is very fast, and pages should appear instantly. If this site is slow for you, then your routing may be messed up, and this issue does not only affect done.land, but potentially a few other websites and downloads as well. Here are simple steps to speed up your Internet experience and fix issues with slow websites and downloads..
Comments
Please do leave comments below. I am using utteran.ce, an open-source and ad-free light-weight commenting system.
Here is how your comments are stored
Whenever you leave a comment, a new github issue is created on your behalf.
-
All comments become trackable issues in the Github Issues section, and I (and you) can follow up on them.
-
There is no third-party provider, no disrupting ads, and everything remains transparent inside github.
Github Users Yes, Spammers No
To keep spammers out and comments attributable, all you do is log in using your (free) github account and grant utteranc.es the permission to submit issues on your behalf.
If you don’t have a github account yet, go get yourself one - it’s free and simple.
If for any reason you do not feel comfortable with letting the commenting system submit issues for you, then visit Github Issues directly, i.e. by clicking the red button Submit Issue at the bottom of each page, and submit your issue manually. You control everything.
Discussions
For chit-chat and quick questions, feel free to visit and participate in Discussions. They work much like classic forums or bulletin boards. Just keep in mind: your valued input isn’t equally well trackable there.
(content created Jul 21, 2025)