Silicon Labs introduces the industry's fastest isolated electric fluometer amplifier

     Silicon Labs announced the launch of an isolated electro-fluometric amplifier with reliable isolation, the industry's highest bandwidth, and the lowest signal transmission latency. Silicon Labs' new Si8920 isolation amplifier provides the ideal current shunt measurement solution for power control systems operating in harsh environments, such as industrial motor drives, solar inverters, high-voltage power converters, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and electric/hybrid vehicle (EV/HEV) systems.

     For all high power systems and power converters with high voltage circuits, fast and accurate electrical measurement is key. Current measurement of high-voltage lines (up to 1200V) via electrically isolated amplifiers provides critical information to low-voltage controllers, improving system response time and efficiency. The Si8920 isolation amplifier provides a differential low-voltage input to the current shunt resistor, allowing the controller to accurately measure the current on the high-voltage line while maintaining optimal electrical isolation. The Si8920 device features an industry-leading signal bandwidth of up to 750kHz, ensuring fast and accurate DC current measurement, as well as accurate presentation of the main and harmonic signals.

     The Si8920 isolation amplifier uses Silicon Labs' proven, CMOs-based isolation technology to meet the stringent requirements of UL, VDE, CQC and CSA standards, supporting isolation capacities up to 5kV and operating voltages up to 1200V. It also offers a wider operating temperature range, better noise suppression and longer service life than competing isolation technologies. The Si8920 amplifier's extremely low temperature drift (1μV/°C) ensures stable performance under a wide range of operating conditions.

     The Si8920 provides robust, reliable isolation amplifier solutions for products requiring long service life, such as industrial automation, green energy and Internet infrastructure equipment. Many power systems have a long service life guarantee and are expected to operate in the field for 25 years or more. In many power systems, isolation often becomes the first point of failure and limits the service life of the device. Traditional isolators based on optocoupler technology are susceptible to temperature changes and their performance degrades in external environments. In contrast, CMOs-based isolation components such as the Si8920 isolation amplifier operate in the full industrial temperature range and are capable of supporting a product life of up to 100 years.

     The Si8920 isolation amplifier provides extremely fast response times, with a minimal 0.75μs transmission delay for signal transmission through the isolation gate, which allows the power control system to respond quickly to transient load states. The ultra-low signal transmission delay allows the control loop to respond quickly, resulting in a more efficient and stable system, and the controller is able to take fast action to maintain the desired performance. The low signal transmission delay also allows the power system to quickly correct abnormal and potentially dangerous events, which helps reduce the cost of equipment maintenance and repair.

     Ross Sabolcik, vice president and general manager of Access and Isolation products at Silicon Labs, said, "Silicon Labs designed the Si8920 isolation analog amplifier to meet the requirements for operating conditions, reliability, and long service life of power conversion systems with high-voltage buses. "The Si8920 device's high bandwidth and extremely low signal transmission latency make it the best isolated electrical fluidmeasurement solution for motor drive systems, solar inverters, power converters and increasingly popular EV/HEV vehicles."