COMPARISON BULLETIN

Based on spintronic GMR rather than old-fashioned transformers, NVE IL700-Series Isolators have less EMI, are smaller, faster, lower power, and longer life.

Less EMI
NVE isolators have no RF carriers or pulse trains. ADI’s transformers and pulse trains are like radio stations on your boards, and their own literature describes ADI devices as “efficient dipole radiators” (i.e., antennas). The result is NVE isolators have virtually undetectable radiated emissions, but ADI isolators exceed EN55022-B and FCC B even with no other system components:

NVE’s IL715 four-channel isolators have virtually undetectable radiated emissions (blue dots are the testing laboratory’s noise floor).	ADI ADuM1400 four-channel isolators fail EN55022-B and FCC B.

(Reports available on request.)

We have customers come to us desperate because they couldn’t pass their EMI tests with ADI parts.
Don’t wait until then. Design in NVE isolators from the start.

Here is a comparison of other key specifications:

	Smallest Package	Max.  Propagation Delay	Typ. Jitter	Power Consumption(2)	Isolation	Est. Barrier  Life
NVE IL700V Series	MSOP-8	18 ns	100 ps	188 mW	6 kV	44000 yrs
ADuM140xCRW Series(1)	SOIC-8	45 ns(1)	Not  Specified	1375 mw	5 kV	50 yrs

(1) The fastest grade of ADI’s fastest two-channel bidirectional isolator.
(2) ADI and NVE's fastest four-channel, unidirectional parts; total of both power supplies at 5 V, 75 MHz, 150 Mbps.

Half the Size (or Less)
ADI’s agency-compliant four-channel parts are only available in a 0.3" SOIC-16; two-channel parts only in SOICs.

IL700-Series four-channel devices come in elegant 0.15" SOIC-16 packages. If that’s still too big, use two NVE two-channel MSOP-8s and reduce PCB footprint by another 50% compared to the ADI parts. ADI can’t match NVE’s two-channel MSOPs for miniaturization.

Faster
IL712/IL721 maximum propagation delay is less than half ADI's fastest bidirectional parts. NVE’s IL700s offer a remarkable 100 ps typical jitter while ADI doesn’t even have a specification. Jitter is critical for isolating high speed DACs and ADCs, since any clock jitter directly limits dynamic range and precision. Worse, the ADI parts will completely miss fast pulses because their isolators are too slow.

Data Integrity
ADI transceivers have non-deterministic data encoding, which causes occasional errors. NVE’s technology does not require encoding, so there is no data error mechanism.

Usable Baud Rate
ADI claims a 150 Mbps data rate on some parts that have propagation delays of 35 ns or more. That’s more than five data cycles of propagation delay at 150 Mbps, so the usable baud rate is much less. Also, there’s a minimum pulse width spec of 6.67 ns, so you need exactly 50% duty cycle with zero rise and fall time. NVE’s speed specifications support practical use at high speeds.

One-Seventh the Power Consumption
Worst-case power consumption is a ridiculous 1375 mW (far more than the package rating) for ADI’s four-channel part at maximum frequency, compared to 188 mW for NVE’s four-channel part at the same speed. So NVE simplifies power supplies and reduces cost.

No Latch-up
ADI devices have flaws ranging from anoying to serious. One of the most serious is a tendency to lacth up and stop switching. The only way to reset is to cycle the system power.

Barrier a Hundred Times Better
A unique ceramic/polymer barrier gives NVE a best-in-class 6 kV isolation rating and a remarkable barrier resistance of 10¹⁴ ohms, at least 100 times better than ADI.

A better barrier also means NVE isolators have a predicted failure rate of one part in 44000 years. That’s practically forever. ADI specifies a working life of 50 years. That doesn’t sound bad until you consider the statistical chance of a particular ADI device failing much sooner.

True 8 mm Creepage
NVE’s unique True 8™ isolator package provides true 8 millimeter creepage in accordance with IEC 60601 in a JEDEC-compliant 16-pin package. To get an ADI part with true 8 mm creepage you have to special order a 20-pin package with four pins missing, hope they have it, and hope it fits on your board.

Broader Product Line
In addition to more package types, NVE offers a broad product line for a wide range of applications. In addition to digital inputs, the NVE IL600-Series offers hardware-programmable passive inputs. IL600-Series isolators offer open-drain as well as CMOS outputs.

Award-winning IsoLoop Isolators. Just better.

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