Date: 17/12/2012

Long lasting I2C interface isolators consume less power

Texas Instruments has unveiled bidirectional isolator family compatible with I2C interfaces. ISO1540 and ISO1541 have mutiple advantages over optocouplers. They include better transient immunity, faster switching times and longer-lasting(3x more than optoisolators) isolation in applications, such as power supplies, networking, telecommunications, Power over Ethernet (PoE) and battery management systems.

Capacitive isolation based ISO1540 and ISO1541 ICs consume maximum current of less than 8.5 mA at 5 V. The ISO1540 provides two isolated bidirectional channels for clock and data lines for use in applications that have multiple masters. The ISO1541 includes a bidirectional data and a unidirectional clock channel for use in single-master applications.

ISO1540 and ISO1541 feature maximum propagation delay of 62 nanoseconds is 52-percent better than competitive ICs, enabling faster data transfer. With ± 50-kV/us typical transient immunity withstand harsh environments. Isolated bidirectional communications is accomplished within these devices by employing an offset configuration that prevents device latch-up and ensures reliable operation.

The ISO1540 and ISO1541 are available in industry-standard, 8-pin SOIC packages. Suggested retail pricing in 1,000-unit quantities is US$2.00 and US$1.80, respectively.