arXiv · 2603.24096
A Low Cost Discrete Digital Isolator Circuit
Abstract
This work presents a fully discrete, low cost digital isolator requiring no specialized ICs and implemented entirely with general purpose transistors and a two layer PCB embedded air core transformer. The design avoids vendor lock in and long term component obsolescence risks, while providing >1 kV isolation, ~200 ns propagation delay, and validated NRZ data rates of 1 Mbps. A modified dual oscillator architecture enables inherent hardware lockout suitable for half bridge gate driver applications. Measured performance and PCB layout guidelines are provided.
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Thomas Conway. 2026-03-25. A Low Cost Discrete Digital Isolator Circuit. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.24096
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