Surface-mount CAT IV high-voltage isolation optocouplers support solar and wind turbine installations

October 24, 2011 // Paul Buckley

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. is broadening its optoelectronics portfolio with the introduction of the industry’s first CAT IV, high-voltage isolation optocouplers available in surface-mount packages. Certified by the international safety regulatory agency VDE, the CNY64ST and CNY65ST series products offer long creepage distances and a high isolation test voltage to protect workers and equipment used in high-voltage environments like solar power and wind turbine grid connections.

Now customers wanting the manufacturing flexibility of using all surface-mount components in their products can use the CNY64ST and CNY65ST, which complement the CNY6x series of through-hole devices already available.

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has defined protection standards for four different installation categories, CAT I through IV. Category IV has the most stringent protection requirements because it typically involves electrical connections to the utility grid. The CNY6x series of CAT IV optocouplers protects equipment and people from being damaged or injured by a high-voltage spike or transient of up to 12,000 V and a recurring peak voltage of 1450 VPEAK, while allowing data to pass from the high-voltage side to low-voltage monitoring equipment.

In addition to meeting the IEC requirements for overvoltage transients and recurring peak voltage, the CNY6x series of optocouplers features creepage distances — the shortest distance along any path on the outside surface of the package from input to output pin — of up to 17 mm and is certified to be used in CAT IV installations with working voltages up to 1,000 V.

For the surface-mount devices released today, the CNY64ST series offers a creepage distance of 9.5 mm while the CNY65ST series provides a creepage distance of 14 mm with CAT IV working voltages up to 600 V. Both feature an insulation distance — the internal distance between the infrared emitting diode and phototransistor through the insulation — greater than 3 mm.

The CAT IV optocouplers provide a broad range of CTR values from 50 % to 300 % at 5 mA, operate over a temperature range of − 55  to + 85 °C, and offer a forward current of 75 mA. The devices are Eco-Friendly “Green”, compliant to RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC, and in accordance to WEEE 2002/96/EC.

Samples and production quantities of the CNY64ST and CNY65ST series products are available now, with lead times of six to eight weeks for larger orders.

Visit Vishay Intertechnology at www.vishay.com

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