Industry’s First Grade 0 Digital Isolator Supports up to 150°C

Texas Instruments (TI) have launched the industry’s first grade 0 digital isolator that enables reliable communication and protection in HEV/EV systems that exceed 125°C. Engineers can simplify high-temperature automotive designs while helping improve signal isolation and in-vehicle network performance with TI’s new Grade 0 devices. The digital isolator is qualified to the Grade 0 ambient operating temperature specification of the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC)-Q100 standard.

The ISO7741E-Q1 features an industry-leading 1.5-kV_RMS working voltage and supports temperatures up to the Grade 0 maximum of 150°C. The new isolator enables engineers to better protect low-voltage circuitry from high-voltage events in hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and electric vehicle (EV) systems and avoid having to design in cooling systems to reduce temperatures to below 125°C – the maximum temperature Grade 1-qualified integrated circuits (ICs) can support. 

In addition, when implementing Controller Area Network Flexible Data Rate (CAN FD) communications in system designs, engineers can increase in-vehicle network (IVN) signal protection and reach by using the ISO7741E-Q1 with the new TCAN1044EV-Q1 Grade 0 CAN FD transceiver.

High-temperature device operation increases design flexibility

Grade 0-qualified ICs meet the requirements of the AEC-Q100’s highest temperature grade (-40°C to 150°C) and are designed to help engineers simplify design of HEV/EV systems in harsh environments, such as 48-V HEVs where the co-existence of internal combustion engines and battery systems can heat the air around ICs beyond 125°C. With reliable performance up to 150°C, TI’s new Grade 0 devices, the ISO7741E-Q1 and the TCAN1044EV-Q1, can be placed in high-temperature areas of HEV/EV systems without increasing bill of materials or design complexity.

Highest isolation rating and high electromagnetic compatibility

The ISO7741E-Q1 uses TI’s capacitive isolation technology to provide the industry’s highest working voltage of 1.5 kV_RMS and an isolation voltage of 5 kV_RMS, enabling engineers to achieve more reliable operation of HEV/EV powertrain and HVAC systems that require signal transmission across an isolation barrier, such as starter generators, cooling fans and traction inverters.

This device provides additional system-level protection in harsh automotive environments due to its high typical common-mode transient immunity of ±100 kV/µs and a ±8-kV International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61000-4-2 contact discharge protection.

Fast signal throughput for reliable IVN performance over longer distances

By combining the ISO7741E-Q1 and the TCAN1044EV-Q1 in CAN FD bus designs, engineers can meet the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 11898-2:2016 timing standard for high-speed automotive communications, allowing for extended reach and reliability of signals across IVNs without diminishing data rates.