♪ Isolation ♪
One of the questions we get at NVE is,
"What's an isolator, and why are they needed?"
Isolators transmit data or power without an electrical connection.
A key benefit is electrical safety.
The creepy doll represents a person, and the resistor represents human tissue.
The resistor is grounded,
which happens if we're standing on the ground.
Then if we touch something,
like an appliance that's at a different potential
and not isolated,
a dangerous current could go through us.
The tester is set for 2500 volts, which is a common safety standard.
2500 volts is a higher voltage than you'd normally encounter,
so there's a safety buffer for surges.
One of our isolators is between the tester and the doll,
so the doll is safe.
This is the smallest isolator in the world
that meets the 2500-volt standard.
It's just three millimeters square-- less than an eighth of an inch.
The UL standard is for a one minute test.
And the isolator passes.
But can just any integrated circuit provide isolation?
Here's a garden-variety IC--
This is voltage regulator we had in the lab.
It fails to hold off the voltage, so the resistor smokes and breaks.
2500 volts and 30 milliamps is not just dangerous to creepy dolls...
...it can hurt you.
So be sure your electrical appliances are isolated.
NVE's unique spintronic isolators
have the highest isolation voltages,
the longest life,
and the smallest packages in the industry.