Monolithic optocouplers

Photovoltaic Optocouplers

Built to move power.

Up to 52% of the power into the LED comes back out as electrical power. The same optocouplers sit inside every Polaris regulator. Sample one today, or have us package several together for your design.

Explore OC1D Request samples

Close-up of the PSAN006 step-down demonstration board, built with EPC Space: the two OC1D optocouplers, U2 and U3, are circled beside the EPC7014 transistor and the LT1575 controller — Two OC1D optocouplers on the PSAN006 step-down board, built with EPC Space

52%

Peak power-transfer efficiency

73%

Peak current transfer ratio

>25×

The efficiency of a conventional PV optocoupler

16 mm²

OC1D footprint, 0.8 mm tall

Applications

Where they fit

Each optocoupler pairs an LED and a photovoltaic cell on one chip, so light carries power from one circuit to another.

Power conversion

Enhanced Linear Regulators

Optocouplers let a linear regulator step down across large voltage drops far more efficiently, and step up or invert as well. Nothing switches, so there is no ripple to filter and no inductor to place.

Gate drive

Bootstrap-free gate drive

Drive a gate above or below the rail with high current, and keep a high-side switch on without a bootstrap circuit.

Bias rails

Floating and negative rails

Make a small rail above, below, or apart from your supply, such as a negative bias, without switching.

Signaling

Supply-free signaling

Send an on/off signal to a circuit at a different voltage. The light generates the output, so the far side needs no supply.

In a real design

Two parts, three regulators

In application note PSAN006, EPC Space and Polaris built step-down, step-up, and inverting regulators on one board design. Moving between them is mostly a matter of rewiring two OC1D optocouplers.

PSAN006 Buck ELR schematic: an LT1575 controller drives an EPC7014 eGaN transistor, with the LEDs of two OC1D optocouplers in series between its source and the output, and their photovoltaic cells from ground to the output — **Step down**EV006-BK18 · 4.8–6 V in, 1.8 V out

PSAN006 Boost ELR schematic: the same controller and transistor, with the two OC1D LEDs from the transistor source to ground and their photovoltaic cells between the input and the output — **Step up**EV006-BT50 · 3.3–4.2 V in, 5 V out

PSAN006 Inverting ELR schematic: the two OC1D LEDs from the transistor source to ground and their photovoltaic cells from ground down to the negative output — **Invert**EV006-IV18 · 2.9–5 V in, −1.8 V out

Next to the LDO it was built from, the step-down board runs with less than half the heat. You can request all four boards, including the LDO, EV006-LD18.

Request the boards Read PSAN006

Technology

How they work

One chip, grown layer by layer. The LED, a blocking junction, and the photovoltaic cell are grown on top of one another, so light from the LED goes straight into the PV.
A mirror on top. Light heading away from the photovoltaic cell is reflected back into it.
Wired to fit. Put LEDs in series or parallel to match the supply you have, and photovoltaic cells in series or parallel for the output voltage and current you need.
Built for harsh environments. Radiation-resilient by design, and rated from −40 to 125 °C.