ADUM4402WARWZ-RL

Digital isolators are electronic components used to electrically disconnect two circuits, while at the same time allowing them to communicate using required channels such as optical. They are usually used in the electrical sector when the two circuits have different voltage levels and when it is necessary to keep strong galvanic isolation between the two circuits to avoid any problematic spark. The ADUM4402WARWZ-RL is a digital isolator typically used in applications such as motor control, industrial automation, power supply, energy harvesting and transducer linearisation, among others.

The ADUM4402WARWZ-RL is composed of four sections arranged in two pairs. Each section includes two shielded differential channels: High voltage channel (HV) and Low voltage channel (LV). Each channel is composed from a LED which is electrically coupled with a PIN Photo Detector. A high speed data-rate up to 16 Mbps can be achieved.

The HV and LV channels are galvanically isolated by an insulated barrier created in the optical path thanks to a special insulation technology between the LED and the detector. It is also necessary for the LED to be shielded by an enclosure to avoid the external or natural light affects the performance of the isolator. The enclosure also ensures low EMI. As a result, it is possible to get messages or signals from one circuit to the other without any physical galvanic connection between the circuits.

The general operation principle is based on the transmission and reception of signals in a point-to-point communications. A LED is driven by one circuit, then it emits a beam of light which is picked up by the detector in the second circuit. The detector then sends the signals or messages to the other circuit encoded in the optical pulse. The overall result is an efficient and precise signal isolation over a wide range of frequencies.

The ADUM4402WARWZ-RL digital isolator is an ideal component to handle critical safety-critical applications that require safe and reliable isolation of the communication lines. It has a wide range of applications such as motor control, industrial automation, power supply, energy harvesting and transducer linearisation. The advantages of this component are its small size, a high speed data rate and its reliable insulation.