ISOLOOP MAGNETIC COUPLERS

ABSTRACT

A new generation of couplers conquers noise with high speed and multiple channels.

Sensing is only half the battle in industrial control systems. Getting the sensor data where they need to go is the other half. The data path can be strewn with ground loops, noise, temperature extremes, and speed bottlenecks. For years, optical couplers were the only option. Although revolutionary when they arrived on the scene a generation ago, optocouplers have failed to keep pace with advances in industrial networks and sensor technology, leaving many designers frustrated by their bulk, slow speed, high power consumption, and limited temperature range. But in the past year, the introduction of a new generation of solid-state couplers—magnetic couplers—has been overcoming many of these limitations.