As low-voltage modular systems proliferate, the likelihood of communication errors occurring between different grounding and voltage domains increases. Products that address these issues and are suitable for wearable and industrial sensor nodes, where miniaturization in size, cost, and performance is essential, are attracting attention.

Texas Instruments (TI) recently introduced the '±80V Ground Level Translator' in its 'Technical Article'.

This product reliably transmits signals between low voltage systems with voltage levels of 1.71 V to 5.5 V, while maintaining a maximum voltage of ±80 V. It can reject DC ground offset and AC noise up to 140Vpp at 1MHz.

Support for various interfaces such as SPI and I2C solves the ground gap problem frequently occurring in modular designs with a single chip.

Following the trend toward miniaturization, efficiency, and modularity, systems combining various voltage domains are increasing, ranging from consumer power tools to electric vehicles and energy storage devices.

In particular, architectures that increase power efficiency while avoiding the complexity of high-voltage designs, such as 48V systems, are attracting attention.

On the other hand, even a slight difference in the ground potential of each module can easily cause signal distortion and communication errors.

Traditionally, galvanic isolators have been large, expensive, and have limitations in terms of data transmission speed and timing.

Unidirectional level shifters are also limited to low-speed signals and have poor scalability.

Instead of these complex solutions, TI's ground level translator achieves high data throughput of 250 Mbps, less than 5 ns propagation delay, and 0.35 ns channel skew in an ultra-small package measuring 4 ㎟ for 4 channels and 2.25 ㎟ for 1 channel.

The first product family, TXG8041, features a push-pull output architecture and supports data rates up to 250 Mbps, less than 5 ns propagation delay, and 0.35 ns channel-to-channel skew.

Compared to existing optical and digital isolators, the size is 1/7 and the cost is reduced by half.

It covers all voltage levels from 1.71V to 5.5V, allowing flexible application to various MCU and sensor interface designs.

The second family, the TXG8122, is optimized for open-drain configurations such as I2C, reducing static bus power consumption by about half in low-power applications.

4 channels in a 4㎟ footprint, contributing to extending the life of battery-powered devices and reducing heat load.

It is particularly suitable for designs where miniaturization is essential, such as wearables and industrial sensor nodes that are sensitive to power consumption.

As 48V architectures expand in the electric vehicle industry, automakers must verify communication reliability in environments with ground offsets of up to ±80V, per the international standard ISO 21780.

The TXG8041 withstands ±80V DC offset, including transients, and enables high-speed SPI communication, enabling smooth real-time data exchange between the control module of a 48V battery system and 12V sensors.

Demand for ground level translators is also growing in the battery stack monitoring field.

Many cell monitors use a ground reference of half the pack voltage, making direct connection to the MCU difficult, but the TXG8122 ensures safe I2C communication in these topologies.

The small size of 2.25㎟ maximizes the use of internal space in the module, making it advantageous for products such as electric bicycles and ESS where portability and efficiency are important.

TI said this new product will simultaneously improve the complexity, cost, and space issues of existing isolation solutions.

Its miniaturized form factor, low power consumption, and high data transfer rate significantly improve the design and expandability of modular architecture.

New products are available for immediate review and design application through evaluation modules and data sheets on the TI website.

In a market where continuous low-voltage module integration is accelerating, TI's ±80V ground level translator is expected to be positioned as a solution that effectively reduces the size and cost of the overall system while maintaining signal integrity and system stability.

Experts say, “Previously it was impossibleHe expressed his expectations, saying, “The design of a compact, high-speed interface has become a reality.”

For more information, see https://www.ti.com/document-viewer/lit/html/KOKT150?HQS=asc-int-sensbr-txg80x-exah-ta-e4ds_ana_0805-kr_kr_awr&dclid=CjkKEQjwtMHEBhDNpYKRq9OIvv0BEiQAvcHcODl3Jrxs0XamI6qac9RVrzGPg314hi5Zz5YYptAJKSnw_wcB&gad_source=7 .