A powered device interface assembly includes an optocoupler and a powered device interface. The opto-coupler is electrically coupled with a microcontroller of the power device interface. The powered device interface includes a telemetry circuit coupled with the opto-coupler and configured to generate encoded telemetry information for output via a single pin of the powered device interface for transmission to the microcontroller of the powered device, wherein the opto-coupler is coupled with the single pin and is configured to electrically isolate the single pin from the microcontroller.

An input circuit for an I/O module for an industrial controller or the like provides a shunt regulator for precisely controlling the maximum current through the LED of an optical isolator. Substantial improvement in the current regulation decreases power dissipation in the optical isolator element. A low voltage shunt circuit prevents leakage from the shunt regulator from activating the optical isolator at low voltages allowing more sensitive optical isolators providing additional power dissipation savings.

The invention describes an isolated driver (2) comprising a converter module (21) realized to provide voltage and current output to a load (3); a feedback arrangement (22) realized to monitor voltage and/or current during operation of the driver (2); and a converter controller (1) for providing converter control signals (CI, CF, VCON) to the converter module (21), and wherein the converter controller (1) comprises a single optocoupler (10) connected by input terminals to the feedback arrangement (22); and a switching circuit arrangement (11) connected to output terminals of the optocoupler (10), comprising a number of semiconductor switches (Q.sub.20, Q.sub.25, Q.sub.30, . . . , Q.sub.34) arranged to generate a converter control signal (CI, CF, VCON) for placing the converter module (21) of the driver (2) into a low-output mode (M.sub.LO) when a voltage across the optocoupler output terminals indicates a fault condition. The invention further describes an LED lighting arrangement (5) comprising such an isolated driver (2) for driving an LED lighting load (3) from a mains power supply (4). The invention also describes a converter controller (1) for an isolated driver (2), and a method of operating an isolated driver (2).

An apparatus includes a polarization beam splitter (PBS) and an optical detector. The PBS is configured to receive a polarized optical signal transported via an optical communication path of an optical network. The detector is configured to receive from the PBS a first polarization component of the optical signal, and to produce a first electrical measure of the first polarization component. A processor is configured to determine a dynamic metric of the optical communication path based at least on the first electrical measure. Some embodiments also include a second detector configured to receive from the PBS a second polarization component of the optical signal. The second detector produces a second electrical measure of the second polarization component, and the processor is configured to determine the dynamic metric based on both the first and second electrical measures.

An isolation system and isolation device are disclosed. An illustrative isolation device is disclosed to include first circuitry having at least a first emitter and a first detector, second circuitry having at least a dual-purpose component, an isolation material configured to electrically isolate the first circuitry from the second circuitry, and switching circuitry adapted to connect the dual-purpose component to emit a first signal for detection by the first detector in a first configuration, and to receive a second signal from the first emitter in a second configuration.

An optocoupler is provided, including: at least one light-emitting chip disposed at a first connective region; at least one light-sensing chip disposed at a second connective region; an isolative structure disposed between at least one light-emitting chip and at least one light-sensing chip for isolating an electric field; a first encapsulant covering at least one light-emitting chip, at least one light-sensing chip, first connective region, second connective region and isolative structure; a second encapsulant covering first encapsulant; and a substrate having a recess; wherein first connective region and second connective region are disposed within substrate, at least one light-emitting chip is disposed within recess and electrically connected with first connective region, at least one light-sensing chip is disposed within recess and electrically connected with second connective region, and first encapsulant and second encapsulant are disposed within recess.

A quasi-optical coupling system launches and extracts surface wave communication transmissions from a wire. At millimeter-wave frequencies, where the wavelength is small compared to the macroscopic size of the equipment, the millimeter-wave transmissions can be transported from one place to another and diverted via lenses and reflectors, much like visible light. Transmitters and receivers can be positioned near telephone and power lines and reflectors placed on or near the cables can reflect transmissions onto or off of the cables. The lenses on the transmitters are focused, and the reflectors positioned such that the reflected transmissions are guided waves on the surface of the cables. The reflectors can be polarization sensitive, where one or more of a set of guided wave modes can be reflected off the wire based on the polarization of the guided wave modes and polarization and orientation of the reflector.

A system and method are disclosed for providing electrically isolated communications between two USB2 devices. Two isolating eUSB2 repeaters are utilized to implement a digital isolation barrier between the two USB2 devices. The isolating eUSB2 repeaters are configured to broker isolated communications between the two USB2 devices using a modified eUSB2 protocol that allows the two isolating eUSB2 repeaters to interoperate across the isolating barrier. The modified eUSB2 protocol allows the two isolating eUSB2 repeaters to broker isolating communications on behalf of the USB2 devices without the use of an accurate clock signal. The modified eUSB2 protocol utilized by the isolating eUSB2 repeaters is configured in particular to support certain end-of-packet translations between USB2 data and the modified eUSB2 protocol, management of certain USB2 bus state transitions and assignment of roles to the two isolating eUSB2 repeaters.

A medical system includes a first electrical circuit, a second electrical circuit electrically isolated from the first electrical circuit, an optical isolator circuit coupled between the first and second electrical circuits, and a common-mode choke comprising a plurality of wires wound around a core and configured to reduce a voltage transient at an input of the optical isolator circuit to a level within a tolerance of the optical isolator circuit. A first end of the wires is conductively coupled to an output of the first electrical circuit and a second end of the wires is conductively coupled to the input of the optical isolator circuit.

An optical isolator is provided. The optical isolator includes a printed circuit board having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The printed circuit board has a recess extending only partially through the board. The first photoelement has an active surface and is mounted relative to the first surface of the printed circuit board. A second photoelement has an active surface and is mounted relative to the second surface. The second photoelement is configured to interact with the first photoelement. At least one of the first and second photoelements has its active surface disposed at least partially in the recess. A portion of the printed circuit board is interposed between the first and second photoelements.