Texas Instruments isolated amplifier features low cost, low power, high accuracy

The AMC1301 isolated amplifier is said to be the industry’s first with a working breakdown voltage of 1 KVrms. Perhaps more importantly, it’s small and very low power. How many applications suffer from noise problems their whole lifecycle that could be completely remedied by an easy to implement, low cost isolation amplifier?

The AMC1301 also handles 7 Kv peak, for a minimum insulation barrier lifetime of 64 years, which exceeds VDE0884-10 requirements. The IC has a gain error of just ±0.3% at 25°C with ±50 ppm/°C drift. Offset error and drift is just ±200 μV at 25°C, ±3 μV/°C. Input bias current is 82 µa maximum over the full -40° to 125°C operating range.

The amplifiers gain is fixed at 8.2 and its ±250 mV input voltage range is optimized for current measurement using shunt resistors, or other low voltage-level signal sources. The chip has no lifetime degradation error like optical solutions.

The IC can yield accurate current control that results in system-level power savings and, in motor control applications, lower torque ripple. Its integrated common-mode overvoltage protection and high-side supply voltage monitoring features simplify system-level design and diagnostics.

The device requires only 81.4 mw for both sides of the isolation barrier (with 3.3 V supplies), which greatly eases PCB and thermal design. V_IN to V_OUT signal delay (50% – 10%) is 0.7 µs typical, and 2.0 µs maximum. It comes in a 5.85 × 7.50 mm SOIC8 package and is priced at only $2.90 ea/1,000. Available now.