The new digital isolators incorporate ADI’s proprietary isoPower integrated, isolated dc-to-dc converter technology, which provides up to 500mW of regulated, isolated power at 5-V output.
According to the company, the growing popularity of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) is placing new emphasis on the need for battery management to monitor voltage levels and provide car makers with the means to reduce battery weight, size and cost. Because HEV batteries operate at high voltages of up to 600 V, isolation is required for safe and reliable operation.
In an HEV application, this level of integrated isolation allows for power to be transferred across an isolation barrier ensuring monitoring of the battery without drawing from the battery’s power. The ADuM540xW devices are a better choice over discrete solutions, such as optocouplers paired with external dc-to-dc converters, because their small 10-mm x 10-mm surface mount packages reduce the component count of discrete solutions to a single component, reducing board space by up to 70% and cutting costs by as much as 50%, the company claims.
Qualified for an AEC-Q100–40°C to +105°C automotive temperature rating, the ADuM540xW devices are designed for HEV motor drives and battery management systems. The new AEC-Q100 isoPower isolators provide multiple isolation channels in a variety of channel configurations and supports data rates up to 25Mbps. The CMOS-based ADuM540xW family operates with the supply voltage on either side ranging from 4.5V to 5.5V, the company said.
Bill Riedel, director of automotive signal processing at Analog Devices, said: ”Advances in battery technology for hybrid/electric vehicles require isolated power technology with higher levels of integration, temperature resistance and a digital interface that eliminates the need for external signal conditioning.
”ADI’s iCoupler digital isolators with isolated power are not only smaller, they reduce power consumption by 50 percent compared to optocoupler solutions, which helps car manufacturers build even more environmentally sound vehicles.”
