[sci.electronics] 15KV Opto-Isolator?

henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (07/09/89)

>I am looking for an opto-isolator capable of switching 15,000 volts DC.  
>The opto-isolators I have run across, however, all seem to have lower
>thresholds.  I am wondering if any opto-isolators work at this voltage...

This isn't clear:  do you want an optoisolator whose output stage can turn
15kV on and off, or do you want an optoisolator that can tolerate a 15kV
difference between the input side and the output side?

If the former:  no way, you're going to have to use some sort of booster
controlled by the optoisolator.  Switching 15kV with semiconductors is
not trivial.

If the latter (which sounds more likely):  use a fiber-optic transmitter
and a fiber-optic receiver with a few cm of fiber in between.
-- 
$10 million equals 18 PM       |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
(Pentagon-Minutes). -Tom Neff  | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu