Quad-channel digital isolators for industrial and automotive applications

Novosense Microelectronics has extended its family of digital isolators with quad-channel devices that deliver the performance and protection demanded by the latest industrial and automotive applications. The new NSI824xWx high-reliability digital isolators supply compact and efficient protection and level shifting in applications varying from solar inverters and energy storage to industrial automation and EVs.

UL1577-qualified for safety, the ultra-wide body industrial- and automotive-grade isolators integrate robust EMC performance with high levels of protection against system-level ESD, EFTs and voltage surges. Each device offers an insulation voltage of up to 8kVrms, chip-level ESD HBM protection to ±8kV and CMTI of up to 200kV/μs.

The isolators have options for four forward channels, three forward and one reverse channel or two forward and two reverse channels. The default output state on power loss can be set to low or high. Channel speeds up to 150Mbps are supported, while a wide input voltage range of 2.5V to 5.5V simplifies level shift operations by providing compatibility with various digital interfaces. A low power consumption of 1.5mA per channel (at speeds of 1Mbps) enables designers to fulfil system efficiency targets.

As with all members of the range, the latest devices employ an adapted capacitive isolator technology in which the digital signal undergoes modulation by an RF carrier generated on the transmitter side and is then demodulated on the receiver side. Subsequently, the signal is transmitted through a capacitive isolator and demodulated on the receiver side. The company's proprietary Adaptive OOK modulation technology is key to robust performance, including high noise resistance and low EMI.

The devices are supplied in an SOWW16 package, can support 15mm creepage distance and, operate across a wide temperature range of -55C to 125C, and are fully compliant with all relevant UL, CQC, CSA and VDE safety standards. In industrial automation systems, they can be employed for industrial control, industrial motor drive applications, industrial transportation, instrumentation, industrial field instruments, isolated SPI, RS232 and RS485 applications, universal multi-channel isolators, and motor control. Automotive targets will include automobile sensors, electric drives and, power supplies and battery management systems.