Analog Devices is extending its family of iCoupler digital isolators with products that provide both data and power isolation in a single package. Said to be the industry's first, and unlike existing solutions that require the configuration of separate signal and power circuitry involving multiple components, this advancement provides designers of industrial, instrumentation, and power systems with a simple, low-cost, space-saving alternative.
The products incorporate ADI's new proprietary isoPower technology that integrates a micro-power supply with independent signal channels. This eliminates the need for complex, sizeable, and costly combinations of optocouplers, transformers and other components, which according to ADI, reduces cost by as much as 70% and board space by as much as 80%.
The ADuM5240, ADuM5241 and ADuM5242 are dual channel isolators incorporating isoPower technology. Provided in 8-lead SOIC packaging, they integrate an isolated power supply with two digital signal channels to create a complete isolation solution.
"ADI's iCoupler digital isolation products have a solid five-year track record of safe, reliable operation in a wide variety of applications. Since 2001 when we first introduced the breakthrough iCoupler products, which proved far superior to optocouplers, iCoupler usage has grown to more than 50 million isolation channels in the field," said Dick Meaney, vice president, precision signal processing group, ADI. "We are now leveraging our iCoupler technology to solve a challenging problem: isolating power along with data in a small space at a low cost. Our new iCoupler products with isoPower capabilities enable customers to achieve these savings as well as reduce development time."
The technology
Isolation devices are used in a wide range of applications to protect people and equipment from unsafe voltage levels and disruptive noise sources. Analog Devices' iCoupler isolation technology employs chip-scale, micro-transformers in contrast to the LEDs and photodiodes used in optocouplers. Compared to optocouplers, iCoupler uses less power, achieves higher data rates and provides more precise timing, yet still provides isolation ratings of up to 5 kV. Because the micro-transformer structures are integrated on chip substrates, iCoupler products achieve high levels of integration.
The ADuM524x products with isoPower integrate an isolated DC-DC converter with two channels of digital signal isolation in an 8-pin device. Intended for low-power applications, it provides up to 50 mW of isolated, regulated power at 5 V. The devices operate with a supply from 2,7 V to 5,5 V with the internal DC/DC converter enabled at supply voltages above 4,5 V. The signal channels have superior timing specifications with propagation delay less than 55 ns and channel-to-channel matching better than 3 ns. All three ADuM24x products carry a 2,5 kV isolation rating.
Each product varies by the directionality of each channel. The ADuM5240 has two signal outputs on the same side as the power output. The ADuM5241, with signal channels in each direction, is ideal for bi-directional communications, such as an RS232 transceiver, that require isolated power for interface electronics. The ADuM5242, with the two signal outputs on the same side as the power input, is ideal for power supply applications that employ secondary side control and require isolated power to initiate start-up.
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