Opto-isolator

In electronics, an opto-isolator (or optical isolator, optocoupler, photocoupler, or photoMOS) is a device that uses a short optical transmission path to transfer a signal between elements of a circuit, typically a transmitter and a receiver, while keeping them electrically isolated — since the signal goes from an electrical signal to an optical signal back to an electrical signal, electrical contact along the path is broken.

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Configurations

A common implementation involves a LED and a phototransistor, separated so that light may travel across a barrier but electrical current may not. When an electrical signal is applied to the input of the opto-isolator, its LED lights, its light sensor then activates, and a corresponding electrical signal is generated at the output. Unlike a transformer, the opto-isolator allows for DC coupling and generally provides significant protection from serious overvoltage conditions in one circuit affecting the other.

With a photodiode as the detector, the output current is proportional to the amount of incident light supplied by the emitter. The diode can be used in a photovoltaic mode or a photoconductive mode.

In photovoltaic mode, the diode acts like a current source in parallel with a forward-biased diode. The output current and voltage are dependent on the load impedance and light intensity.

In photoconductive mode, the diode is connected to a supply voltage, and the magnitude of the current conducted is directly proportional to the intensity of light.

An opto-isolator can also be constructed using a small incandescent lamp in place of the LED; such a device, because the lamp has a much slower response time than an LED, will filter out noise or half-wave power in the input signal. In so doing, it will also filter out any audio- or higher-frequency signals in the input. It has the further disadvantage, of course, (an overwhelming disadvantage in most applications) that incandescent lamps have relatively short life spans. Thus, such an unconventional device is of extremely limited usefulness, suitable only for applications such as science projects.

The optical path may be air or a dielectric waveguide. The transmitting and receiving elements of an optical isolator may be contained within a single compact module, for mounting, for example, on a circuit board; in this case, the module is often called an optoisolator or opto-isolator. The photosensor may be a photocell, phototransistor, or an optically triggered SCR or Triac. Occasionally, this device will in turn operate a power relay or contactor.

Application

  Among other applications, opto-isolators can help cut down on ground loops and block voltage spikes.

• One of the requirements of the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standard is that input connections be opto-isolated.
• They are used to isolate low-current control or signal circuitry from transients generated or transmitted by power supply and high-current control circuits. The latter are used within motor and machine control function blocks.

See also

• Optoelectronics
• Galvanic isolation

Manufacturers

• Clare, Inc.
• Avago Technologies
• Fairchild Semiconductor
• Macron International Group
• Panasonic Electric Works Corporation of America
• Vishay
• Bedford Opto Technology