4-port digital isolator based on on-chip transformer

Abstract

The design and fabrication results of a 4-port digital isolator based on an on-chip transformer for galvanic isolation are presented. An ON–OFF keying modulation scheme is used to transmit the digital signal. The proposed digital isolator is fabricated by the 0.18 μm CMOS process. A test chip can achieve a 1 MHz signal bandwidth, a 40 ns propagation delay, a 35.5 mW input power and a 50 mA drive output current. The proposed digital isolator is pin-compatible, of small volume and low power replacement for the common 4-port optocoupler.