New technology brings better isolation and immunity

Called reinforced isolation, the technology is said to meet increasing demands for more integration and increased efficiency in industrial applications. Harald Parzhuber, product line manager, said the technology provides greater immunity and a higher level of isolation. "Reinforced isolation is needed from a system safety perspective," he claimed, "while making system design easier." The technology has been rolled out in two product families: the ISO7842 digital isolators and the AMC1304 delta-sigma modulators. The ISO7842 range withstands transient overvoltages of up to 8kV and feature an isolation rating of 5.7kV rms. The devices also have a peak surge voltage protection rating of 12.8kV. According to Parzhuber, the working voltage of 1500V rms is guaranteed for 40 years and suggests this is superior to the protection offered by opto isolation. Meanwhile, the AMC1304 range integrates an LDO and an amplifier stage, but operate from an input voltage of 50mV. Parzhuber noted: "The parts have the same SNR and THD as those running from a 250mV input, which means a fivefold reduction in power dissipation. Adding reinforced isolation makes these devices the best in class."