Digital signal transfer using integrated transformers with electrical isolation

• US 10,419,251 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies Batam PT (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Strzalkowski, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean B
• Application Number:
  US11/776,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20070258513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,451 Days
• Field of Search: 375219, 375220, 375222, 375257, 375258, 375259, 375260, 375286, 375288, 333 1, 333100, 333117, 333118, 333119, 333 24 R, 333167, 333177
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/00 Line transmission systems combined with near-field transmission systems H04B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/00 Baseband systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/085 Arrangements for reducing interference in line transmission systems, e.g. by differential transmission

Abstract

An isolator includes a transmitter, a coupling module and a receiver. The transmitter drives an input of the coupling module in response to a digital signal, such that in response to a first type of digital data value in the digital signal, a signal of a first predetermined type is supplied to the input and in response to a second type of digital data value in the digital signal, a signal of a second predetermined type is supplied to the input, the signals of the first type and the second type each including an initiation signal that announces a time window during which another portion of the signals representing a digital data value of the first type or the second type will be valid. The receiver is coupled to an output of the coupling module to receive and to decode signals in correspondence to the signals provided to the input.

Claims

1. A digital logic signal isolator comprising:

a coupling module forming an integrated planar transformer having one common transfer channel, the coupling module having an input electrically coupled to a first coupling point and an output electrically coupled to a second coupling point of the coupling module,

a transmitter circuit which drives the input in response to a digital logic signal, such that in response to a first type of digital data value in the digital logic signal, a signal of a first predetermined type is supplied to the input and in response to a second type of digital data value in the digital logic signal, a signal of a second predetermined type is supplied to the input, the signals of the first type and the second type each including an initiation signal that announces a predetermined time window during which another portion of the signals representing a digital data value of the first type or the second type will be valid; and

a receiver circuit coupled to the output to receive signals in correspondence to the signals provided to the input, the receiver circuit adapted to decode a received digital logic signal from the received signals,

wherein the coupling module is configured to isolate potentials of the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit.

2. The isolator of claim 1, wherein the receiver circuit is adapted to decode a data signal that includes a signal indicating a binary value in the digital logic signal or an absence of the signal indicating an opposite binary value in the digital logic signal.

3. A digital logic signal isolator comprising:

a coupling module forming an integrated planar transformer having one common transfer channel, the coupling module having an input electrically coupled to a first coupling point and an output electrically coupled to a second coupling point of the coupling module;

a transmitter circuit which drives the input in response to a digital logic signal, such that in response to a first level of digital data value in the digital logic signal, a signal of a first predetermined type is supplied to the input and in response to a second level of digital data value in the digital logic signal, a signal of a second predetermined type is supplied to the input, the signals of the first type and the second type each including an initiation signal that announces a predetermined time window during which another portion of the signals representing a digital data value of the first type or the second type will be valid; and

a receiver circuit coupled to the output to receive signals in correspondence to the signals provided to the input, the receiver circuit adapted to decode a received digital logic signal from the received signals,

wherein the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit are electrically isolated.

4. The isolator of claim 3, wherein the receiver circuit is adapted to decode a data signal that includes a signal indicating a binary value in the digital logic signal or an absence of the signal indicating an opposite binary value in the digital logic signal.

5. A digital logic signal isolator comprising:

a coupling module forming an integrated planar transformer having one common transfer channel, the coupling module having an input electrically coupled to a first coupling point and an output electrically coupled to a second coupling of the coupling module, the input being electrically isolated from the output;

a transmitter circuit which drives the input in response to a digital logic signal, such that in response to a first type of digital data value in the digital logic signal, a signal of a first predetermined type is supplied to the input and in response to a second type of digital data value in the digital logic signal, a signal of a second predetermined type is supplied to the input, the signals of the first type and the second type each including an initiation signal that announces a predetermined time window during which another portion of the signals representing a digital data value of the first type or the second type will be valid; and

a receiver circuit coupled to the output to receive signals in correspondence to the signals provided to the input, the receiver circuit adapted to decode a received digital logic signal from the received signals,

such that the digital logic signals are transferred from the transmitter circuit to the receiver circuit at isolated and different potentials as serial data at a high transfer rate with a high degree of immunity to interference.

6. The isolator of claim 5, wherein the transmitter circuit is on a first substrate and the receiver is on a second substrate electrically isolated from the first substrate.

7. The isolator of claim 5, wherein the receiver circuit is adapted to decode a data signal that includes a signal indicating a binary value or an absence of a signal indicating an opposite binary value.