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Analog Interface

Hello all,

Someone has asked me to design a system that can take multiple "oscilloscope" type isolated differential inputs ranging form 0 to 500volts AC or DC. In reality they want to be able to hook up to a 3 phase motor or a 0 to 5 volt signal line, or a current clamp that provides 0-1 volt output. Frankly I'm a little stumped. The AD converter, multiplexer and automatic gain selection issues are easy enough to handle, it's the isolation I'm having trouble with. I can't use a transformer because of DC. I want to use an opto-isolator, like the Farichild H11F3, but I have the roughly 1 volt drop on the input LED that gives me a problem with the current clamp or anything in the 0 to about 1.4 volt range. I have considered using the TI (Burr Brown) INA148, but I don't think it really provides the isolation I need if I have 3 of them connected differentially across a 3 phase motor.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks,

Steve

Reply to
steve
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here's some ideas.

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Thats why the bits you want are expensive to buy.

The 500 volt sensor could be done with a high value resistor and a LED, if you can get the current - light -current transfer the signal accurately.

Isolating with low voltage will require a non-isolated powered unit doing something like PWM through a LED.

Reply to
Fred Ferd

500volts

or

output.

or

The modern way to achieve the isolation you want is to use isolated DC/DC converters (e.g. the ones from Newport with 1.5 - 3 kV isolation) and put separate serial A/D converters on each isolated channel, then stick the digital I/O of these through optos.

Cheers, Alf.

Reply to
Unbeliever

One vital piece of information is missing - your signal bandwidth. Presuming it is fairly low - try a voltage to frequency converter on the isolated side of a fast optocoupler. Some V-Fs are linear to a couple of MHz over many orders of magnitude. Of course an isolated or safe battery supply is required for the V-F and conditioning cctry.

On the nonisolated side either F-V or microcontroller with capture input could decode the freq output. This can be pretty crude and still give a good result for low bandwidth signals

-Andrew M

Reply to
Andrew M

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