A Level 0 digital isolator for reliable communication and protection in HEV/EV systems over 125°C

     Texas Instruments has introduced the industry's first digital isolator to meet the Class 0 operating ambient temperature specification of the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) -Q100 standard. The ISO7741E-Q1 has an industry-leading operating voltage of 1.5-kVRMS and supports higher temperature limits of Class 0 up to 150°C.

     The new isolator enables engineers to better protect low-voltage circuits from high-voltage events in hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and electric vehicle (EV) systems and eliminates the need to design in the cooling system to lower temperatures below 125°C, which is supported by a Level 1 compliant integrated circuit (IC).

     In addition, when implementing controller Local Area Network Flexible Data Rate (CAN FD) communications in the system design, engineers CAN use ISO7741E-Q1 and the new TCAN1044EV-Q1 Class 0 CAN FD transceiver to enhance in-vehicle network (IVN) signal protection and coverage.

     Class 0 compliant ics meet the requirements of the AEC-Q100 temperature rating (-40°C to 150°C) and help engineers simplify HEV/EV system design in harsh environments, such as 48-V HEVs, where the air around the IC can be heated to more than 125°C by co-existing internal combustion engines and battery systems. TI's new Class 0 devices ISO7741E-Q1 and TCAN1044 EV-Q1 maintain reliable performance at temperatures up to 150°C and can therefore be used in high temperature regions of HEV/EV systems without adding additional chip or design complexity.

     The ISO7741E-Q1 uses TI's capacitive isolation technology and has TI's highest operating voltage of 1.5 kVRMS and 5 kVRMS isolation voltage to enable more reliable operation of HEV/EV drivetrains and HVAC systems. These systems typically require signal transmission through isolation grids such as starter generators, cooling fans, and traction inverters.

     With high typical common-mode transient immunity of ±100 kV/µs and ±8-kV IEC 61000-4-2 contact discharge protection, this device provides additional system-level protection in harsh automotive environments.

     By combining ISO7741E-Q1 and TCAN1044EV-Q1 in the design of the CAN FD bus, engineers can meet the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 11898-2:2016 High Speed Automotive communication time standard, which is able to extend signal range and reliability on the IVN without reducing the data rate.