This Product Selection Guide contains information to help select products in the Digital Isolators category on DigiKey.com
Digital Isolators electrically separate circuits but still allow for digital signals to be transferred between them. The technology types are capacitive coupling, giant magnetoresistive (GMR), or magnetic coupling. The number of channels range from 1 to 10 and the channel types can be bidirectional, unidirectional, or both.
SelectionCharacteristics
Technology: Describes the basic building-block technology used to construct the device, determining its overall behavior.
Type: Indicates which digital communication standard or standards the device is designed to integrate and function with.
Isolated Power: Indicates whether or not a device integrates a means of transmitting operational power across its isolation barrier.
Number of Channels: The total number of independent isolated signal channels the device possesses.
Inputs - Side 1/Side 2: Indicates the number of signal inputs available on each side of a device’s isolation barrier. Bidirectional channels are counted as an input on both sides.
Channel Type: Indicates if a device’s construction allows information to pass through a given device channel in one or both directions.
Voltage - Isolation: The maximum voltage difference that can be observed across the device’s isolation barrier before breakdown occurs and isolation is lost.
Common Mode Transient Immunity (Min): Characterizes a rate of voltage change across a device’s isolation barrier that if exceeded may be expected to cause errors in the signal(s) being transmitted through a device.
Data Rate: The maximum signal frequency that can be transmitted across the device’s isolation barrier without signal degradation.
Propagation Delay tpLH / tpHL (Max): Characterizes signal transmission delays introduced by a device, for both low->high and high->low signal transitions.
Pulse Width Distortion (Max): Characterizes the maximum difference between high-to-low and low-to-high propagation delays exhibited by a part.
Rise / Fall Time (Typ): Characterizes the amount of time required for a device output to transition from low to high/high to low states, which are commonly defined as 10% and 90% of the supply voltage that powers the output being measured.
Voltage - Supply: Typically represented by a range, this indicates the low and high voltage limits which one can expect standard operation. Voltages outside this range may damage the device and other system components.
Operating Temperature: Recommended operating temperature, typically given in a range or as a maximum. Exceeding these temperatures may affect performance or damage the device and other system components.
Mounting Type: Indicates how the device is attached.
Package / Case: Indicates the type of protective case used on an electronic component to allow easy handling, installation, and protection. This selection was determined to be the closest industry standard applicable to the supplier device packaging. Typically it is best to check the actual dimensions from the datasheet rather than depend on this terminology when designing your circuit.
Supplier Device Package: This is what the manufacturer calls the package of this device. They are manufacturer specific. It is typically best to use the actual dimensions from the datasheets rather than to go by this terminology when designing your circuit.
ProductExamples
| MFR PART # | SI8620BB-B-ISR |
|---|---|
| DIGIKEY PART # | 336-4209-2-ND - Tape & Reel (TR) |
| MANUFACTURER | Skyworks Solutions Inc. |
| DESCRIPTION | General Purpose Digital Isolator 2500Vrms 2 Channel 150Mbps 35kV/µs CMTI 8-SOIC (0.154", 3.90mm Width) |
| DATASHEET | Click Here |
| MFR PART # | MAX14850ASE+T |
|---|---|
| DIGIKEY PART # | MAX14850ASE+TTR-ND - Tape & Reel (TR) |
| MANUFACTURER | Analog Devices Inc./Maxim Integrated |
| DESCRIPTION | General Purpose Digital Isolator 600Vrms 6 Channel 2Mbps, 50Mbps 1.5kV/µs CMTI 16-SOIC (0.154", 3.90mm Width) |
| DATASHEET | Click Here |
| MFR PART # | ISO7721FBDWR |
|---|---|
| DIGIKEY PART # | 296-ISO7721FBDWRTR-ND - Tape & Reel (TR) |
| MANUFACTURER | Texas Instruments |
| DESCRIPTION | CAN, RS232, RS485 Digital Isolator 5000Vrms 2 Channel 100Mbps 85kV/µs CMTI 16-SOIC (0.295", 7.50mm Width) |
| DATASHEET | Click Here |
| MFR PART # | IL 710-2E |
|---|---|
| DIGIKEY PART # | 390-IL710-2E-ND |
| MANUFACTURER | NVE Corp/Isolation Products |
| DESCRIPTION | General Purpose Digital Isolator 2500Vrms 1 Channel 110Mbps 100kV/µs CMTI 8-DIP (0.300", 7.62mm) |
| DATASHEET | Click Here |
MediaLinks
Videos
ADuM347x: Quad-Channel Isolator with PWM Controller
Educational Video – Industrial Digital Isolation
iCoupler® Technology: An Alternative to Optocouplers
Articles
Increase Safety and Reliability of High Voltage Industrial Applications with Galvanic Isolators
Digital Isolators Offer Improved Performance and Lower Cost Options for Solar PV Inverter Designs
How to Isolate High Voltages in Single-Supply Industrial Robotic Systems
Protecting MCUs, Sensor Interfaces from the Dangers of Quickly Changing Motor Loads and Conditions
Integrated Digital Isolators Protect Comm Networks
Product Training Modules
MAX14850 Six Channel Digital Isolator - Maxim
LTM2883 µModule Isolater - Analog Devices
Blogs
Using Digital Isolators to Protect Test Equipment
TechForum
Digital isolators advantages over traditional optocouplers
Selecting the right digital isolator for your design