New Industry Products

5kVRMS Reinforced Digital Isolator: 2x More Throughput at 4x Lower Power

August 16, 2018 by Paul Shepard

To better protect industrial systems from the dangers of high-voltage signals, equipment designers can now turn to the new robust and reliable MAX22445 5kVRMS four-channel reinforced digital isolator from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

Delivering up to 2x greater throughput at 4x lower power consumption versus competing solutions, the MAX22445 provides reliable communication across the isolation barrier to ensure safe operation of compact industrial, medical and other equipment.

In high-voltage equipment, digital isolators provide signal isolation and level-shifting for proper operation of many circuits, while also protecting users from dangers such as electric shock. Yet, not all of these isolators are alike as many consume a large amount of power, generate significant heat and introduce large propagation delays, limiting system reliability and throughput.

Overcoming the shortcomings of other digital isolators, the MAX22445 delivers reinforced, dual insulation barrier isolation for fast digital signals. The IC, which mitigates the dangers of high-voltage power, transfers signals of up to 200Mbps with significantly less power than competitive solutions. It is available in a 16-pin wide-body SOIC package with 8mm of creepage and clearance.

Key Advantages

  • Low Power: 0.41mA per channel current consumption and 0.74mW power consumption at 1Mbps with VDD at 1.8V. The IC has 4x lower power consumption compared to competing solutions while also reducing heat generation and enabling reliable and compact designs.
  • High Speed: Maximum propagation delay of 10.5ns and maximum data rate of 200Mbps enable fast and accurate data acquisition and high-speed interfaces with wide timing margins. The IC delivers up to 2x greater throughput versus other available solutions.
  • Robust and Reliable: Dual barriers of isolation provide 5kVRMS and 10kV surge for reliable performance over a long product lifetime and meet the safety standards required for operator protection.

"The MAX22445 eliminates the tradeoffs between isolation reliability, dynamic performance and power consumption," said Jeff DeAngelis, managing director, Industrial & Healthcare Business Unit at Maxim Integrated. "Engineers can now develop safe, high-throughput, compact factory automation systems."

Key Features

  • Reinforced Galvanic Isolation for Fast Digital Signals
    • Up to 200Mbps Maximum Data Rate
    • Withstands 5kVRMS for 60s (VISO)
    • Continuously Withstands 1500VRMS (VIOWM)
    • Withstands ±10kV Surge Between GNDA and GNDB with 1.2/50μs waveform
    • High CMTI (50kV/μs, Typical)
  • Low Power Consumption
    • 74mW per Channel at 1Mbps with VDD = 1.8V
    • 4mW per Channel at 1Mbps with VDD = 3.3V
    • 2mW per Channel at 100Mbps with VDD = 1.8V
  • Options to Support a Broad Range of Applications
    • 2 Maximum Data Rates (200Mbps, 25Mbps)
    • 3 Direction Configurations
    • Active-High or Active-Low Enable Inputs
    • 2 Fixed Output Default States (High/Low) or Pin-Selectable (M/N Versions)

Availability and Pricing

The MAX22445 is available at Maxim's website for $3.49 (1000-up, FOB USA); also available from select authorized distributors. The MAX22445FWEVKIT# evaluation kit is available for $32 (FOB USA)