The ADuM41601 is a USB-port isolator, based on Analog Devices, Inc. iCoupler? technology. Combining high speed CMOS and monolithic air core transformer technology, these isolation components provide outstanding performance characteristics and are easily integrated with low and full speed USB compatible peripheral devices.

Many microcontrollers implement USB so that it presents only the D+ and D- lines to external pins. This is desirable in many cases because it minimizes external components and simplifies the design; however, this presents particular challenges when isolation is required. Since the USB lines must switch between actively driving D+/D- and allowing external resistors to set the state of the bus, the ADuM4160 provides mechanisms for detecting the direction of data flow and control over state of the output buffers. Data direction is determined on a packet by packet basis.

The ADuM4160 uses the edge detection based iCoupler technology in conjunction with internal logic to implement a transparent, easily configured, up-stream facing port isolator. Isolating the up-stream port provides several advantages in simplicity, power management and robust operation.

The isolator has propagation delay comparable that of a standard hub and cable. It operates with the supply voltage on either side ranging from 3.0 V to 5.5 V, allowing connection directly to VBUS by internally regulating the voltage to the signaling level. The ADuM4160 provides isolated control of the pull-up resistor to allow the peripheral to control connection timing. The device draws low enough idle current that a suspend state is not required.

Applications

• USB peripheral isolation
• Isolated USB Hub
• Repeaters