FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present application relates to galvanic isolators providing galvanic isolation between circuits.

BACKGROUND

Isolators provide electrical isolation between circuits which communicate with each other. In some situations, circuits which communicate with each other operate at different voltages, for instance one at a relatively high voltage and the other at a relatively low voltage. In some situations, the circuits are referenced to different electrical ground potentials. Isolators can be used to electrically isolate circuits in either of these situations.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Isolated circuit systems are provided. The systems include a primary side circuit and a secondary circuit, electrically isolated from each other. The primary side and secondary side circuits each utilize a direct current (DC) reference signal. The primary side circuit may use the DC reference signal in a modulation operation. The secondary side circuit may use the DC reference signal in a demodulation operation. The DC reference signal may be sent from the primary side circuit to the secondary side circuit, or from the secondary side circuit to the primary side circuit.

According to some embodiments, an isolation amplifier is provided, comprising: a primary side circuit having at least one component configured to operate from a direct current (DC) reference signal; a secondary side circuit having at least one component configured to operate from the DC reference signal; an isolation barrier separating the primary and secondary side circuits; a first digital data path configured to transfer digital data between the primary and secondary side circuits across the isolation barrier; and a reference signal path configured to transfer the DC reference signal between the primary and secondary side circuits across the isolation barrier.

According to some embodiments, a multi-die isolator system is provided, comprising: a first die having a primary circuit with an encoder configured to employ a bandgap reference signal to encode a data signal; a second die having a secondary circuit with a decoder configured to employ the bandgap reference signal to decode the data signal; an isolator configured to isolate the primary circuit and the secondary circuit from each other; and a reference signal path coupling the first die and second die and configured to communicate the bandgap reference signal between the primary and secondary circuits.

According to some embodiments, a method of operating an isolated circuit system having a primary circuit on a first die and a secondary circuit on a second die, the method comprising: modulating a data signal with the primary circuit using a direct current (DC) reference signal; transferring the data signal from the primary circuit to the secondary circuit across an isolation barrier; demodulating the data signal with the secondary circuit using the DC reference signal; and communicating the DC reference signal between the primary and secondary circuits.

