This section provides an overview for digital isolators as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 25 digital isolator manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked digital isolator companies as of November, 2024: 1.Broadcom, 2.Rhopoint Components Limited, 3.Vicor Corporation.
Table of Contents
A digital isolator is a device used to isolate the transmission and reception of digital signals.
Insulation" is very important in electrical circuits, preventing equipment from shorting out or being damaged. In addition, having the necessary parts well insulated prevents current from flowing to other parts of the circuit, which helps eliminate noise and send normal signals.
Furthermore, digital isolators are electronic devices that are expected to be applied to a wide variety of equipment due to their long life and low power consumption.
Digital isolators are widely used in devices that require insulation in electronic circuits. First of all, they are used in industrial machinery where there are large voltage differences among devices. Power supplies that require large voltages or large motors and parts that operate with small voltages are located close together and must be isolated where there is a large voltage difference.
This is to prevent damage caused by the application of high voltage to parts that operate at low voltages. Next, it is also used for medical equipment such as X-rays and AEDs. These medical devices are often used with the hands, and the purpose is to prevent electric current from flowing outward and causing an electric shock.
In automobiles, digital isolators are used to protect ECUs and other in-vehicle devices in vehicles that use high-voltage power supplies, such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles.
There are two types of digital isolators: magnetic isolation and capacitive isolation.
Digital isolators with magnetic isolation use coils on the transmitting and receiving sides, respectively. By using coils on the transmitting and receiving sides, conversion between electric signals and magnetic energy is performed.
It can handle high speeds, but the disadvantage is that the faster the speed, the higher the current consumption. In addition, noise characteristics are inferior to those of the following capacitance-isolation type.
This is a digital isolator using a capacitor. In transmission and reception, electrical signals are converted into charge and discharge by using capacitors. The capacitive isolation method has particularly excellent noise characteristics and, like the magnetic isolation method, can be used at high speeds. In addition, current consumption is not related to speed, but rather is disadvantageous at low speeds.
Both methods have the advantage of long life and high speed, and have superior performance compared to previous isolators. However, the only disadvantage is that digital isolators can only handle digital signals and not analog signals.
The structure of a digital isolator with magnetic isolation consists of two coils arranged in a super engineering plastic called polyimide. A pulse current is applied to one coil to generate a small local magnetic field, which in turn generates a current in the other coil.
A capacitively isolated digital isolator consists of a capacitor with a thin silicon dioxide (SiO2, silica) insulation layer.
Digital isolators have the following advantages over conventional optical isolators
Digital isolators are characterized by their large dielectric strength. The dielectric strength of optical isolators ranges from 1 to 20 Vrms/μm, while that of digital isolators with magnetic isolation is 300 Vrms/μm and 500 Vrms/μm for capacitive isolation, 10 to 200 times higher than that of optical isolators.
Digital isolators are characterized by their long life. While optical isolators have a life expectancy of about 10 years, digital isolators are said to have a life expectancy of 25 years or more.
While optical isolators can isolate signals up to about 20 Mbps, digital isolators can handle speeds of 150-200 Mbps, or about 10 times faster.
Digital isolators can keep current consumption low. In particular, the capacitive isolation type can reduce current consumption regardless of the speed.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Sort by Features
Sort by Area
Nonvolatile Electronics (NVE), established in 1989 and based in Minnesota, USA, is a manufacturer of spintronic products. Examples of the company's spintronic products are sensors and couplers that are used to acquire, store, and transmit data through the use of nanotechnology. NVE products are used for the electronic systems of industrial, scientific, and medical applications. The company uses a wordwide distribution network to meet the needs, requests, and requirements of their international clients.
Vicor Corporation, incorporated in 1981, is a global company headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, that designs, manufactures, and markets modular power components and complete power systems. The company supports customers to efficiently convert and manage power from the wall plug to the point-of-load. Their customized power systems can provide specific solutions to the customer from modular, plug-and-play components to semiconductor centric solutions. They have a number of patented technologies based on modular power components. Their continual advances in power delivery architectures, conversion topologies and packaging technology will keep their customers ahead in system efficiency and density.
Broadcom Inc., established in 1961, and headquartered in San Jose, California, is a manufacturer and supplier of semiconductor and connectivity solutions. The company specializes in producing products, such as semiconductors, infrastructure software, networking products, storage products, wireless products in which their products cater to industries such as telecommunications, data centers, and consumer electronics. Their products are used for various applications, including wireless communication, networking equipment, data storage, and multimedia devices, providing components for advanced technologies in numerous industrial and commercial sectors.
Founded in Irvine, CA in 1962, Skyworks Solutions, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary semiconductor products. Its product portfolio includes amplifiers, antenna tuners, attenuators, automotive tuners and digital radios, clocks and timings, circulators/isolators, DC/DC converters, demodulators, detectors, diodes, wireless analog system on chip products, directional couplers, diversity receive modules, filters, front-end modules, hybrids, LED drivers, low noise amplifiers, mixers, modulators, switches, synthesizers, timing devices, technical ceramics, voltage controlled oscillators/synthesizers, and voltage regulators. The company provides its products for the usage in aerospace, automotive, broadband, cellular infrastructure, connected home, entertainment and gaming, industrial, medical, military, smartphone, tablet, and wearable markets.
Incorporated in 1965, Analog Devices, Inc. designs, manufactures, tests, and markets integrated circuits (ICs), software, and subsystems that leverage analog, mixed-signal, and digital signal processing technologies. The company provides data converter products, power management and reference products for power conversion, driver monitoring, sequencing, and energy management applications in the automotive, communications, industrial, and high-end consumer markets. In addition, the company provides digital signal processing and system products for high-speed numeric calculations. It serves clients in the industrial, automotive, consumer, instrumentation, aerospace, and communications markets.
E-Max Instruments, Incorporated, established in 1975, is a US-based manufacturer and supplier of digital recorders, relays, power supplies, and control accessories headquartered in Englewood, Colorado. The company's product portfolio includes trip circuit monitors, trip indication relays, auxiliary voltage relays, control diodes, and analog & digital optical isolators used in the power industry. The company has qualified for various certificates including ISO 9001:2015 accreditation, Conflict Metals Policy, ROHS compliance, and the Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) Certificate.
Aplisens S.A., founded in 1992, and headquartered in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland, is a manufacturer of process instrumentation. The company offers a diverse range of control and measurement products, including differential pressure transmitters, hydrostatic level probes, level transmitters, valves, and digital indicators. It also offers power supplies, separators, and gauges. It is certified with ISO 9001:2015 and HART, and also provides Quality Assurance Notifications for ATEX compliance, ensuring product safety in potentially explosive environments.
Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation is a division of Toshiba focusing on providing designs for end-product developers as well as semiconductor and drive equipment for automotive, industrial equipment, green energy, and consumer and personal electronic devices. Toshiba’s storage products include cloud-scale and enterprise-level products, and PC hard drives. Semiconductor products include Si Cower devices, MOSFETs, IGBTs, IEGTs, isolators, solid state relays, power management and intelligent power ICs, diodes, bipolar transistors, microcontrollers, automotive devices, ICs for wireless communication equipment, general purpose logic ICs, radio-frequency devices, sensors, and linear image sensors.
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Murata Manufacturing) was founded in 1944 and is headquartered in Nagaokakyo, Japan. Murata Manufacturing designs, manufactures, and sells ceramic-based passive electronic components and solutions globally. The company operates through components, modules, and others segments, serving communications, mobility, industrial, healthcare, and personal electronics customers. They company's product offerings include noise suppression products, quartz devices,RFID devices, phase shifters, and wireless connectivity platforms. Services such as webinars and video library are also available for existing and potential customers alike.
Renesas Electronics Corporation was established in 2002 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Renesas is a global research, design, and manufacturer of semiconductors used in industries spanning automotive, consumer electronics, the internet of things, power & energy, and industrial sectors. Renesas manufactures both analog and digital products. Analog products include amplifiers, audio & video devices, data converters, PLC, and switches & multiplexers. Digital products include microcontrollers, memory components, sensors, wireless connectivity products, and others. Renesas also offers design resources such as kits, development tools, partner programs, and design tools.
HOPE Microelectronics CO., Ltd., founded in 2004 in Shenzhen, China, specializes as a manufacturer and supplier of wireless radio frequency solutions. The company make products Sub-1GHz Transmitter IC, Encode Remote IC, SoC Remote IC, Sub-1GHz Receiver IC, Sub-1GHz Transceiver IC, BLE RF IC, Decode Remote IC. As a player in the wireless tech sector, HOPE Microelectronics manufactures and supplies RF components, serving diverse industries. Other than chips, they are also into sensors and modules. The company serves significantly in the technology landscape.
Acme Chip Technology Co. Ltd., founded in 2008 and based in Shenzhen, China, is a distributor of electronic components that is ISO 9001 certified. Its products include sensors, power supplies, and optical inspection equipment sourced from several manufacturers, including Advanced Linear Devices Inc., Central Semiconductor Corp., and Fluke. The company also offers a large stock of electronic components, including obsolete components and old code chips that are always available for immediate shipment.
Isobaud Inc., based in Santa Clara, California, is a manufacturer of optoelectronic devices and sensors serving industries such as healthcare, military, and aerospace. Its products include optocouplers, infrared emitters, and magnetic digital isolators, and it also works with end users to deliver custom solutions. The company’s IB14C1 and IB14C2 radiation-tolerant phototransistors consist of silicon phototransistors mounted in a wide-angle hermetic TO-18 package and have an operating temperature of -65°C to +125°C. The IB8240, IB8241, and IB8242 magnetic digital separators can attain speeds of up to 150mbps and have a 60-year life at rated working voltage.
ST Micro Electronics is a global semiconductor company serving customers with innovations to have a positive impact on people's lives. Their product line is micro electronic systems, such as switches, controllers, sensors and drivers. The main selling point of ST Micro Electronics is its provision of sustainable products, and introducing their electronics to create a more sustainable world. The company, as well as providing the electronic devices, also provides software and support, ensuring that all fields are covered to provide a fully provide a supported and strong relationship with their customer base. ST Micro Electronics believe that technology plays a key role in helping to solve environmental and social challenges, which is why their semiconductor technologies start with their employees, their customers and partners.
Monolithic Power Systems (MPS), founded in 1997 and headquartered in San Jose, California, is a manufacturer of integrated circuits (ICs). Their product range includes switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) for converting AC or DC power to lower voltage DC power, LED drivers for driving LED lights, battery management ICs to manage power in portable devices, power factor correction (PFC) ICs for improving power supply efficiency, and sensorless motor control ICs to control motors without position sensors. MPS's solutions find applications in consumer electronics, industrial, and automotive industries, offering efficient power management solutions to enhance various electronic devices.
Texas Instruments Incorporated was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Texas Instruments is a producer of high tech equipment for industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment industries. Texas Instruments designs, manufactures, and sells semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers in the United States and internationally. Texas Instruments operates in two segments: analog and embedded processing. The Analog segment offers power products, including battery-management solutions, DC/DC switching regulators, power switches, linear regulators, voltage references, and lighting products. The Embedded Processing segment offers microcontrollers that are used in fields such as electronic equipment and digital signal processors for mathematical computations.
Rhopoint Components Limited, founded in 1975 and located in Sussex County in southeast England, is a distributor of precision electronic components, including sensors and connectors. The company is an authorized partner of 28 manufacturers with headquarters in the UK, with several Divisions, including Rhopoint Nordic ApS and Rhopoint Energy. The company offers a wide range of electric components, including resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes, and connectors, catering to the specific needs of diverse industries, including renewable energy, subsea, oil, and gas. It has cyber essentials certification along with BS EN ISO 9001 certification.
Shenzhen Shengyu Electronics Technology Ltd., founded in 2008 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, is an electric component distributor that is ISO 9001 certified. The company stocks several components, including switches, capacitors, and resistors, which it sources from multiple manufacturers like Seiko Instruments, Inc., Renesas Electronics America, and Nuvoton Technology Corporation America. Depending on the size and configuration of the customer’s components, the company provides a full range of packaging services. It accepts single or multiple-part quotations, and its website allows customers to search hundreds of products ranging from ICs to computer accessories.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Broadcom |
14.0%
|
2 | Rhopoint Components Limited |
8.0%
|
3 | Vicor Corporation |
8.0%
|
4 | J&T ELECTRONICS LTD |
6.0%
|
5 | Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. |
6.0%
|
6 | Skyworks Solutions, Inc. |
6.0%
|
7 | Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage |
6.0%
|
8 | shengyuic |
4.0%
|
9 | Shanghai Chipanalog Microelectronics Co., Ltd. |
4.0%
|
10 | Shenzhen Hope Microelectronics Co., Ltd. |
4.0%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the digital isolator page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 6 | 35.3% |
Japan | 4 | 23.5% |
China | 4 | 23.5% |
Poland | 1 | 5.9% |
United Kingdom | 1 | 5.9% |
Germany | 1 | 5.9% |
46 products are listed.
Rocky Co., Ltd.
40+ people viewing
NVE's IL700 /IL200 Series Digital Isolators provide performance and flexibility, ideal for various applications, including small packages, minimum ...
Rocky Co., Ltd.
90+ people viewing
Last viewed: 18 hours ago
NVE offers a wide range of insulating RS-422, RS-485, and CAN network Transiver. Reduce noise and dramatically reduce the number of chips and board...
Rocky Co., Ltd.
100+ people viewing
NVE's IL01X Low Power Consumption Digital Isolator uses a NVE patented spinronic toning nailing magnetic resistance (TMR) technology to achieve a r...
Rocky Co., Ltd.
30+ people viewing
The IL500 series isolator is the lowest cost isolator of NVE. With a 1-4 channel configuration, the internal refresh clock guarantees the correct o...
Rocky Co., Ltd.
30+ people viewing
NVE's IL800 series is the newest isolator in the industry with the best class specifications. ■ Characteristics ・ Data speed 100Mbps ・ Maximum h...
Rocky Co., Ltd.
30+ people viewing
NVE's IL600 and IL600A series isolators have passive inputs for the same flexibility as LED input optocapula. The IL600 series has a CMOS output, a...