Texas Instruments’ new opto-emulator portfolio of signal isolation semiconductors is designed to improve signal integrity, consume less power, and extend the lifetime of high-voltage industrial and automotive applications. (Image courtesy Texas Instruments)
Texas Instruments’ new opto-emulators are designed to improve signal integrity and reduce power consumption as much as 80 percent, the company said.
DALLAS—A new opto-emulator portfolio of signal isolation semiconductors from Texas Instruments (TI) is designed to improve signal integrity, consume less power, and extend the lifetime of high-voltage industrial and automotive applications, TI said in a release.
Texas Instruments’ new opto-emulators are pin-to-pin compatible with the industry’s most common optocouplers, enabling seamless integration into existing designs while leveraging the unique benefits of silicon dioxide (SiO2)-based isolation technology, according to the release. For more information, see TI.com/opto-emulators.
“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, in the release. “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 integrate an LED to isolate the signal. They have, historically, been a common choice among engineers. However, optocouplers typically require upfront overdesign to compensate for the inevitable aging effects of LEDs, according to TI. Texas Instruments’ opto-emulators are said to eliminate the need for overdesign by using SiO2 for the isolation barrier, removing the effects of LED aging altogether.
With a high dielectric strength of 500 VRMS/µm, TI’s SiO2 isolation barrier reportedly enables the new portfolio of devices to protect end-product designs for more than 40 years. Opto-emulators provide isolation protection as high as 3,750 VRMS, while reducing power consumption by as much as 80 percent, the company said.
The portfolio reportedly can withstand wide operating temperature ranges from –55°C to 125°C, while providing common-mode transient immunity up to 10 times higher than optocouplers. According to TI, its new opto-emulator portfolio “builds on the company’s commitment to helping engineers unlock the power of high voltage.” (TI.com/highvoltage)
More information about the benefits of TI’s new opto-emulators is available in the technical article, “Opto-Emulators Explained: Why You Should Upgrade Your Optocoupler Technology.”
Preproduction quantities of opto-emulator products are available now at TI.com/opto-emulators. Automotive versions of opto-emulator products are expected to be available in 2024, the company said.
Texas Instruments Incorporated is a global semiconductor company that designs, manufactures, tests, and sells analog and embedded processing chips for markets such as industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment and enterprise systems.