Optocoupler
Optocouplers manage to send signals between circuits with separate grounds, providing an isolated galvanic barrier between them. Therefore, an optocoupler is a solution for circuits that need to be isolated from each other for safety or regularity reasons and need to have interaction in between.In brief, Optocoupler’s galvanic isolation provides these benefits:
- Prevent ground loops in equipment that drives a remote load. Most ac-operated switching supplies (e.g., those used in computers, telecommunications, and instrumentation) use optocouplers for the isolated feedback path.
- Suppress electrical noise effects. For example, it is difficult to take full advantage of a 16-bit ADC because the digital output signals (and noise on the digital ground to which you connect the converter’s output) get back into the analog front end. You can extricate yourself from noise with optical isolation of the digital half.
- To get a signal up to a circuit floating at high voltage. Designers of high-voltage power supplies sometimes use optocouplers to get a signal up to a circuit floating at high voltage.
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