Photocouplers claim smallest size for industrial automation

Renesas Electronics Corp. has expanded its family of 8.2-mm creepage photocouplers with three new devices that can operate in harsh industrial automation equipment, solar inverter, and EV charger operating environments. These optical isolated IGBT drivers and intelligent power module (IPM) driver claim the smallest size in a 2.5 × 2.5-mm LSS05 package, reducing PCB mounting areas by up to 35 percent compared to other devices in the market, said the company.

The new family of 8.2-mm creepage photocouplers address two key challenges of industrial equipment and green energy system manufacturers – equipment needs to get smaller with higher functionality in the same board size and safety standards are getting stricter, according to  Philip Chesley, vice president, Industrial and Communications Business Division at Renesas.

The new family includes the RV1S9231A 2.5-A output and RV1S9207A 0.6-A output IGBT drivers and the RV1S9209A active high output IPM driver. In addition to the low-profile LSSO5 packages with a 0.65-mm pin pitch, these devices deliver 5,000 Vrms isolation voltage and support high temperature operation up to 125°C to withstand the harsh operating environments. The photocouplers also supports 200 -V and 400-V systems with reinforced insulation to meet stringent industrial safety standards, such as UL61800-5-1 standards for motor drive equipment.

The RV1S9209A, RV1S9231A, and RV1S9207A photocouplers are available now from Renesas’ worldwide distributors. As part of the company’s Winning Combination portfolio, Renesas also offers new AC drives / GP Inverter designs, featuring the RV1S92xxA family of products.