From Optocouplers to CMOS: Core Technology for Isolation Chips

In modern electronic systems, isolation chips [https://www.conevoelec.com/passives/capacitors] play a crucial role. As the core technology in the field of electrical isolation, they not only enhance system safety but also strengthen signal stability and reliability. By enabling signal transmission between circuits without direct electrical connections, they greatly improve system safety, signal stability, and reliability.

Working Principle and Classification of Isolation Chips

The core function of isolation chips is to achieve electrical isolation, transmitting signals between two circuits without creating an electrical connection. This isolation is achieved through internal isolation components such as optocouplers or transformers. The main technological routes for isolation chips include optical coupling isolation, capacitive coupling isolation (cap coupling), and magnetic coupling isolation (magnetic coupling).

Optical coupling isolation: Signals are transmitted in the form of electro-optical-electrical, using light signals between the light-emitting device and the photo-sensitive receiver to convey information.

Capacitive coupling isolation [https://www.conevoelec.com/passives/optoelectronics]: Utilizes high-frequency signal modulation and demodulation to transmit signals through capacitive isolation, characterized by simplicity and low cost.

Magnetic coupling isolation: Based on chip-sized transformers, using CMOS process + coil structure, it offers fast transmission speeds and strong reliability.

Isolation chips can also be classified according to different functional applications, specifically into digital isolation chips, isolation drive chips, isolation sampling chips, and isolation power management chips.

1. Digital isolation chips: Basic isolation devices used for signal transmission.

2. Isolation drive chips: Integrate gate drive with standard digital isolators to provide electrical and signal isolation.

3. Isolation sampling chips: Include isolated operational amplifiers and isolated ADCs for signal sampling or analog-to-digital conversion.

4. Isolation power management chips: Integrate power isolation circuits and signal isolation circuits to achieve power and signal isolation.

History of Isolation Chip Development

The development of isolation chips began in the 1960s with the release of the first batch of optoelectronics, which laid the foundation for isolation technology. Optocouplers transmit signals in the form of electro-optical-electrical but suffer from slow transmission speeds, propagation delays, and large deviations. With technological advancements, by the late 1990s, CMOS digital isolation chips were successfully developed, offering a new solution for isolation. Digital isolation chips combine standard CMOS silicon technology, featuring smaller geometries and higher manufacturing process repeatability and stability.

Over time, isolation chip technology has undergone significant evolution, from early optocouplers to today's CMOS digital isolation chips. This technological progress has brought significant performance improvements, especially in key timing parameters such as transmission delay, pulse width distortion or deviation, device consistency, and common-mode transient immunity (CMTI). Digital isolation chips, with their low power consumption and multi-channel integration capabilities, are gradually replacing traditional optocoupler applications. Moreover, with the rapid development of application fields such as information communication, industrial control, and new energy vehicles, digital isolation chips are evolving towards faster transmission speeds, higher transmission efficiency, greater integration, stronger pressure resistance, lower power consumption, and higher reliability to meet the growing market demand.

Application Fields of Isolation Chips

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The main application fields of digital isolation chips include information communication, power automation, factory automation, industrial measurement, automotive body communication, instrumentation, and aerospace. Additionally, the increased use of motors with isolated drives in the industrial field, the demand for isolated interfaces in industrial IoT, and the increased safety requirements for automotive electrification have further promoted the development of the digital isolation chip market. In the field of industrial control, the use of isolation devices accounts for the highest proportion, reaching 28.58%, and is expected to reach 28% in the next few years. With the advancement of Industry 4.0, manufacturing enterprises will continue to promote intelligent, digital, and networked production, and the demand for digital isolation chips will continue to grow.

Market Analysis of Isolation Chips

The global market size for digital isolation chips was $1.6 billion in 2020, expected to reach $1.8 billion by 2022, and is projected to reach $2.7 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3% from 2022 to 2027. European and American semiconductor companies started early in the field of digital isolation chips and have long dominated the market, with companies like TI, Silicon Labs, ADI, Broadcom, and Infineon accounting for 40%-50% of the global market share of digital isolation chip products.

Popular Manufacturers and Models of Isolation Chips

Popular isolation chip manufacturers in the market include ADI, TI, Silicon Labs, and Novosense, among others, offering a variety of high-performance isolation chip products.

1. ADI (Analog Devices), ADI's products are widely used in various industrial, automotive, and communication fields. ADI's ADUM54XX (including ADUM5411/ADuM5410/ADuM5412) is a four-channel digital isolator integrated with isoPower technology, capable of providing a regulated isolated power supply adjustable between 3.15V and 5.25V. Utilizing iCoupler chip-level transformer technology, it can isolate logic signals and the magnetic components of DC/DC converters, thus providing a small-sized, fully isolated solution.

2. TI (Texas Instruments), offers a wide range of digital isolation chip products to meet various application needs. TI's ADuM series (such as ADUM1410, ADUM1411, ADUM1412, etc.). These products use TI's patented iCoupler technology, that is, chip-level transformer isolation technology, to achieve isolated transmission of digital signals, characterized by multi-channel isolation, high-speed data transmission, and low power consumption.

3. Silicon Labs, a company focused on the design of high-performance, high-reliability analog and mixed-signal chips, its digital isolation chip solutions are highly praised in the market. Its SI8441BB-D-IS1 [https://www.conevoelec.com/checkout/checkout/rfq?search=ADUM1410] and other isolation chips are based on Silicon Labs' proprietary radio frequency isolation technology, featuring shorter propagation delays, lower power consumption, smaller installation sizes, and more stable operating temperatures and aging performance.

4. Novosense, with a rich product line covering digital isolators, analog switches, power management, and more. NSI6602 [https://www.conevoelec.com/checkout/checkout/rfq?search=ADUM1410] is a highly reliable dual-channel isolated gate driver chip, supporting 2MHz switching frequency applications, providing 5000Vrms isolation. It features high performance, high reliability, and high integration.

Conclusion

Isolation chips, as an important safeguard for circuit safety, hold an important position in the global market. With the development of technology and the expansion of application fields, the market demand for isolation chips will continue to grow, especially in the fields of industrial automation, automotive electrification, and 5G construction. Domestic companies such as Novosense are gradually enhancing their competitiveness in the global market through technological innovation and product line expansion. With the acceleration of global digital transformation, the isolation chip industry will usher in broader development opportunities.

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