Vishay Launches Advanced Automotive Optocoupler for Enhanced Performance

Vishay Semiconductors has launched a cutting-edge opto-voltage output optocoupler designed specifically in the automotive industry. The VOMDA1271 driver offers improved performance, enhanced design flexibility, and cost reduction. It achieves industry-leading levels of switch speed and open circuit output voltage.

The recently unveiled optocoupler integrates a shutdown circuit and demonstrates a typical shutdown time of 0.7ms, setting new standards in MOSFET driver applications using the compact SOP-4 package. Additionally, the VOMDA1271 exhibits a turn-on time of 0.05ms, nearly twice as fast as competing products in the same package specification. With an impressive isolation voltage of 3750V and a typical open circuit output voltage of 8.5V, this exceptional driver is suitable for a wide range of MOSFET driver applications.

The device is certified under AEC-Q102 and is ideal for pre-charge circuits, wall chargers, as well as battery management systems (BMS) in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). To achieve higher voltages for driving IGBT and SiC MOSFETs in these applications, two VOMDA1271 optocouplers can be connected in series. Furthermore, by employing this innovative driver, designers can replace traditional electromechanical relays with customized solid-state relays when developing the next generation of automobiles.

The opto-isolated VOMDA1271 utilizes an AIGaAs infrared LED (IRLED) that emits light absorbed by a photodiode array, generating the MOSFET turn-on voltage. This design eliminates the need for an external power supply, simplifying the overall system design and reducing costs. The device can be driven by the GPIO pins of a microcontroller, further enhancing design flexibility.