Isolation devices extend the lifetime of high-voltage applications to 40-plus years

Texas Instruments presents its new opto-emulator portfolio of signal isolation semiconductors, developed to enhance signal integrity, consume less power, and prolong the lifetime of high-voltage industrial and automotive applications. The company's inaugural opto-emulators are pin-to-pin compatible with the industry's most common optocouplers, facilitating seamless integration into existing designs while using the unique benefits of SiO2-based isolation technology.

"Today's push for electrification, coupled with the intricacies of designing high-voltage systems, presents a need for engineers to increase the performance and lifetime of their products while ensuring the right level of isolation," said Tsedeniya Abraham, general manager of interface products at Texas Instruments. "Our new portfolio of opto-emulators not only addresses the growing need for reliable and affordable isolation but also exemplifies our commitment to investing in high-voltage technologies."

Optocouplers, which integrate an LED to isolate the signal, have historically been a typical choice among engineers. However, optocouplers generally need upfront overdesign to compensate for the inevitable ageing effects of LEDs. The company's opto-emulators eradicate the necessity for overdesign by utilising SiO2 for the isolation barrier, removing the effects of LED ageing altogether. With a high dielectric strength of 500VRMS/µm, its SiO2 isolation barrier allows the new portfolio of devices to protect end-product designs for over 40 years. Opto-emulators also deliver isolation protection as high as 3,750VRMS while decreasing power consumption by as much as 80%.

Also, the portfolio can withstand wide operating temperature ranges from –55C to 125C while supplying common-mode transient immunity up to ten times higher than optocouplers.