Test circuit checks optical isolators by D. Bruce Johnson Tulare, Tenn When you add your own voltmeter to this test circuit, you cin accurately measure the current-transfer effi- ciency of an optically coupled isolator that has a photo- transistor output. The test circuit also enables you 10 evaluate the current gain (hpz) of the coupler's photo- transistor, Both parameters, which are measured to within 43%, can be tead directly from the voltmeter’s display over the useful current range of most couplers. ‘The test circuit employs an operational amplifier (A1) as a voltage-to-current converter to supply a maximum drive current of 10 milliamperes for the coupler’s input light-emitting diode for the cransfer-efficiency test. A ‘pap (ransistor is also wired as a voltage-to-current con- verter for providing a maximum base current of 10 mi- croamperes to the coupler’s phototransistor for the hrr measurement, Anothet op amp (Ao) acts as @ current- to-voltage converter during both tess The couplers transfer efficiency can be defined as: iciency = | (Tel) 100% | Ja=0 where Jo is the phototransistor’s collector current, and Ip is the Leb’s forward current. The transfer function of Ts aon ALL RESISTORS: 21% UNLESS OTHERMISE NOTED | ws ime 0a 709 est orticat ‘Eouaron oe the voltage-to-current converter is expressed by: Ip = E,/100 and the transfer function of the current-to-voltage con- verter is’ Eo = IcRen The coupler’s transfer efficiency can now be written as: efficiency = (100F,/E.Rea) X 100% For the circuit to provide direct reading, a ganged switch is used to control both voltage E; and resistance Rep. The product of E; and Rew is always 100, regard- less of switch position. The transfer efficiency, therefore, simply becomes E. X 100%-so that a I-volt output in- dicates an efficiency of 100%. A similar relationship exists for phototransistor hee, which is defined as: how = | fol ta | o=0 where Is is the phototransistor’s base current. In terms of the transfer functions of the test circuit, phototransis- tor hrs can be written as: fire = E108) ERes Since the product of Ey and Rew is 100, then hex equals 1,000E,~so that a I-V outppt corresponds to an hex of 000. If you use general-purpose 741-type op amps in the test circuit, you will be able to measure transfer eff- Ciency to about 300% and hee to about 3,000. a tora} | Sea. om | 2a a & ‘ro vourneren TWOLT = 1p eFriciency VOUT = Lose wea ‘eM av Optical coupler checkout. Ths fst crcut, together with avllmeter, provides a dtect readout o! ihe curentaransterelfiency ofan optical courier. Tho rn of he couplers phototransistar can also be measured. Ampiie A, and the transistor verter, while ampitier Ay is a curentto-vatage converter. A ganged switch acts as a range contol fr th erate as vallage-to-current con: jest eurrert.