New 20kbps to 100kbps Communication Photocouplers Lower Costs, Power Consumption

Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) announced the launch of two new communication photocouplers — theTLP2301 (20kps) and TLP2303 (100kps). Supporting RS-232 communication speed of 9.6kbps or 19.2kbps to RS-232C communication speed of 115.2kbps transmission rates for isolated communication interfaces in factory automation devices, air-conditioners, smart meters and more, these new optimal speed photocouplers bring excellent cost/performance ratios and can be driven at a low input current of 1 mA.

Isolated communication interfaces for factory automation devices (such as PLC and inverters), home appliances and housing equipment (such as air conditioners and smart meters) use a wide range of transmission rates to communicate. Until now, photocouplers with optimal speed transmission rates were not available. This forced users to choose either general-purpose transistor couplers, which provide insufficient performance, or 1 Mbps-class IC couplers, which provide the performance needed, but at a very high cost.

Toshiba developed the TLP2301 and TLP2303 to fill this gap in the market. The new photocouplers achieve a high current transfer ratio (IC/IF) and switching under low input current conditions — leading to reductions in power consumption and costs in the wide range of products that use photocouplers.

The TLP2301, which supports a ~20kbps transmission rate, guarantees a maximum delay time of 30 microns. Additionally, it can operate at a low input current of 1 mA by adopting a high-output infrared luminescence LED developed by Toshiba. Due to its low input current, the TLP2301 can also be directly driven by a microcontroller (no driver buffer is needed).

In addition to using the same high-output infrared luminescence LED as the TLP2301, the TLP2303, which supports a ~100kbps transmission rate, has a light-receiving chip with a high-speed photo Darlington transistor configuration. This enables the TLP2303 to achieve a high current transfer ratio (IC/IF) of up to 800 percent at an input current of 1.6 mA.

Features for the TPL2301include: Operating temperature range: Topr = -55 degrees C to 125 degrees C; Current transfer ratio: CTR = 50 percent (min.) (at IF = 1 mA, VCE = 5V); and propagation delay time: tpHL / tpLH = 30 microns (max.) (at IF = 1 mA, VCC = 5V, RL = 10k omega, Ta = 25 degrees C).

Features for the TLP2303 include: Operating temperature range: Topr = −40 degrees C to 125 degrees C; Current transfer ratio: CTR = 800 percent (min.) (at IF = 1.6 mA, VCC = 4.5V); Propagation delay time: tpHL = 5 microns (max.), tpLH = 25 microns (max.) [condition: IF = 1.6 mA, VCC = 5V, RL = 2.2 k omega, Ta = 25 degrees C], tpHL = 1 microns (max.), tpLH = 7 microns (max.) [condition: IF = 12 mA, VCC = 5V, RL = 270 omega, Ta = 25 degrees C]; and common-mode transient immunity: |CMH| and |CML| > 15 kV/microns.

Toshiba's new photocouplers are available now. Budgetary pricing begins at $0.24 for TLP2301 and $0.38 for TLP2303.