Talk:Opto-isolator

This article is rated C-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects:

Guild of Copy Editors This article was copy edited by a member of the Guild of Copy Editors.Guild of Copy EditorsWikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy EditorsTemplate:WikiProject Guild of Copy EditorsGuild of Copy Editors articles Electronics Low‑importance This article is part of WikiProject Electronics, an attempt to provide a standard approach to writing articles about electronics on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can choose to edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks. Leave messages at the project talk pageElectronicsWikipedia:WikiProject ElectronicsTemplate:WikiProject Electronicselectronic articles Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale. Electrical engineering Low‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Electrical engineering, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Electrical engineering on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Electrical engineeringWikipedia:WikiProject Electrical engineeringTemplate:WikiProject Electrical engineeringelectrical engineering articles Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale. Occupational Safety and Health Low‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Occupational Safety and Health, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of articles related to occupational safety and health on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Occupational Safety and HealthWikipedia:WikiProject Occupational Safety and HealthTemplate:WikiProject Occupational Safety and HealthOccupational Safety and Health articles Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale.

As I understand it, photointerrupters (transmissive photosensors) and photoreflectors (reflective photosensors) are sometimes referred to as slotted and reflective optocouplers, respectively. They are used to build incremental optical rotary encoders; these, again, are used in ball-type computer mice. However, these things are not what one would usually think of when talking about an optocoupler or optoisolator. Until someone finds the time to explain this properly (sorry, I don't have it right now), the sections referring to these topics are simply confusing. I have therefore removed them from the article and put them here:

• The classical ball computer mouse is a common application, using infrared emitter LEDs and phototransistors to form optocouplers. The ball of the mouse turns a pair of optical encoder wheels. These wheels periodically block the optocouplers and thereby translate the motion of the mouse into a sequence of pulses. These pulses are then used to record the motion. The principle of operation does not require infrared light, but the infrared sensor is less sensitive to interference from common flickering visible light sources such as fluorescent lamps and CRT displays.

--128.130.60.86 11:35, 26 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This article could use an image of the schematic representation of an opto-isolator to better get the point across.--Hooperbloob 01:20, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC)

How about a circuit? - Omegatron 14:53, Jun 8, 2005 (UTC)

• Hey, that looks great. If some part identifiers are added then we can reference them in the discussion.--Hooperbloob 16:37, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Ok. I did it right, right? Output will be high or low depending on switch. - Omegatron 17:43, Jun 8, 2005 (UTC)

Added some ugly numbers. - Omegatron 14:27, Jun 15, 2005 (UTC)

These two articles seem to cover the same thing. -- Bob Mellish 18:45, 7 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

agreed. — Omegatron 15:04, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There should be some discussion on analog versus digital isolation. Efadae (talk) 21:33, 17 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The link to one of the pdf's listed on the bottom of the page is dead. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.37.244.183 (talk) 10:05, 17 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The link http://www.radiation-effects.com/pdf/RLAT.pdf is still dead today 11 nov 2009, free to remove

None of these links works .. --174.67.243.57 (talk) 15:54, 21 February 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I'm doing it user space right now. If you plan to edit the article in the nearest week or two, ping me please. East of Borschov 13:21, 3 November 2010 (UTC) done. East of Borschov 17:36, 5 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Weber's book seems sufficient to claim that Vactrol is used generically today. He writes: "The light dependent resistor, also known as LDR or vactrol, is a device... " Tijfo098 (talk) 18:57, 5 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

What does

Both transformers and opto-couplers are effective in breaking ground loops caused by high or noisy return currents in ground wires, and common in industrial and stage equipment.

mean? I cannot fix it without knowing what the writer intended.--Anon423 (talk) 19:36, 6 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

1. High and noisy electric currents are common in industrial equipment
2. Noisy [but not really high] currents are common in stage equipment
3. Return currents (i.e. currents returning to the power supply through the return wires) cause ground loops.
4. Transformers and opto-couplers can break ground loops, so the noise in return wires stays there and does not disrupt useful audio and video signals. East of Borschov 00:48, 7 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. I have reworded it to hopefully make it better.--Anon423 (talk) 02:01, 7 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Does

All materials used in opto-isolator packages must have matched thermal expansion properties.

refer to just silicone dome designs, or to all opto-isolators? It is unclear from the context.--Anon423 (talk) 19:49, 6 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

• Ah, this is precisely the case of awkward paraphrasing of what was a crystal-clear sentence. The source meant that the thermal expansion coefficient of the dark goo must match t.e.c. of clear silicone (applicable only to double-molded silicone domes). Quote: "A dark outer mold compound, with a matched thermal expansion coefficient to the inner-mold compound, is then called an over under double molded design." East of Borschov 00:40, 7 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  • p.s. "matched" does not [necessarily] mean "equal" or even "close". East of Borschov 00:56, 7 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks.--Anon423 (talk) 02:01, 7 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I have copy-edited the article, but am holding off on removal of the copy edit tag for now until I can get some feedback on my work. I have also added an expert-subject tag for the confusing sections. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Anon423 (talk • contribs) 00:25, 7 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

• Thanks. I'll check diffs one by one - at first sight there's one instance when copyedit changed the intended message to something else. Check the sentence "They feature speeds four times higher, lesser power consumption and lower cost than the fastest contemporary opto-isolators." (last section). Apart from a change of tense (it's a snapshot of 2000 market, past tense) I'm not sure that any product can "feature" low cost. "Low cost" in industry-speak means "low price to wholesale buyers", it's the seller's decision and not a property of a product. East of Borschov 00:36, 7 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I'm removing both cleanup tags at the top. Thank you.--Anon423 (talk) 02:04, 7 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

considering the fact that Solid State Relays use Optical isolators, having both articles separate seems redundant (contributor formally known as KB1KOI) 2012-12-03, 18:20 UTC — Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.19.115.116 (talk) 18:19, 3 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The International Standard IEC60050 for the naming of electrotechnical components only accepts the names "photocoupler" and "optocoupler". Is there a reason why the article name is non standard? --91.15.67.235 (talk) 09:05, 24 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Are we sure "dielectric" is the right word for the bit in the middle of an optoisolator? A dielectric is an insulator that can be polarised. This is surely not necessary in an opto, it only needs to be an insulator (and transparent!). Are dielectrics used in real-life optos, if they are, why? Is it a necessary property? Couldn't a theoretical opto be built that meets all the specifications, using a non-dielectric insulator? Depending on this, wouldn't "insulator" be a better word? It'd also be advantageous to beginners in electronics, who might not know what a dielectric is. After all, someone experienced in electronics wouldn't need to look up what an opto is!

84.67.73.190 (talk) 05:03, 19 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

It seems to be the jargon used in describing optocouplers. At least one book I have open right now says "dielectric" and "insulator" are synonymous terms.(Electrical Conduction in Solids:An Introduction, Daniel D. Pollock, American Society for Metals, 1985 ISBN 0-87170-203-7, page 241) What insulators cannot be polarized? --Wtshymanski (talk) 06:20, 20 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]