Advances in high-voltage and high-data-rate circuits for applications in electric vehicles, telecommunications, aerospace, military, and more have taxed the limits of today’s photocoupling devices. To meet the demands of the next-generation galvanic photo isolation, the latest iteration of opto-emulators has taken up the challenge.
Traditionally, optoisolators, or optocoupler/photocouplers, are used to isolate signal circuits. However, traditional optocouplers are a mature technology and now bumping up against their technology ceiling—they have plateaued when it comes to performance. Therefore, another option for traditional optocouplers is needed. Texas Instruments offers a line of silicon-dioxide (SiO2)-based opto-emulators that can replace traditional air, epoxy, or silica-filled mold optocouplers insulation region.