Isolator with integral transformer

摘要

A signal isolator apparatus includes a first substrate for supporting input circuitry including a high frequency oscillator circuit for receiving an input signal, a second substrate for supporting output circuitry including a detector circuit for providing an output signal; and a third substrate having parallel conductive layers separated by insulation. The third substrate has an upper conductive shield formed in a second conductive layer and a lower conductive shield formed in a fifth conductive layer. A transformer is formed between the upper and lower conductive shields and includes a primary winding formed in a third conductive layer and a secondary winding formed in a fourth conductive layer. The oscillator circuit is connected to the primary winding and adapted to excite the primary winding at a first frequency in response to the input signal, and the detector circuit is connected to the secondary winding and adapted to selectively sense the first frequency and provide the output signal. The third substrate is arranged to form a bridge connection between the first and second substrates.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a bridge board comprising a multilayer substrate having a plurality of conductive layers separated by insulation and having a length, a set of A-side contacts located near an end of the bridge board on a first side of an isolation boundary, the isolation boundary dividing the length, and a set of B-side contacts located on a second side of the isolation boundary near an opposite end of the bridge board, the set of B-side contacts being separated by a predetermined distance from the A-side contacts; the bridge board including one or more transformers, each transformer including an A-side winding connected to the A-side contacts and a B-side winding connected to the B-side contacts; each A-side winding being galvanically isolated from each B-side contact and each B-side winding; each B-side winding being galvanically isolated from each A-side contact and each A-side winding; each A-side and B-side winding being formed in a respective conductive layer of the bridge board and being located in a region providing space for a magnetic field coupling the A-side and B-side windings; the bridge board being constructed and arranged to span a separation distance between an external A-side circuit having a set of A-side terminals located in an A-side area on a printed circuit board (PCB) and an external B-side circuit having a set of B-side terminals located in a B-side area on a PCB, with the A-side contacts of the bridge board aligned and mated with respective ones of the A-side terminals and the B-side contacts of the bridge board aligned and mated with respective ones of the B-side terminals; the bridge board providing a galvanically isolated mechanism for connecting the external A-side circuit to the external B-side circuit.