System and method for electric isolator with printed circuit board

Abstract

Systems and methods for an electrical isolator with a printed circuit board. A system includes an inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery to AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter includes: an electrical isolator separating a high voltage region of the inverter from a low voltage region of the inverter; a low voltage controller in the low voltage region; and a high voltage controller in the high voltage region and configured to communicate with the low voltage controller via the electrical isolator, wherein the electrical isolator includes: a printed circuit board (PCB) including a substrate having a high voltage side defining the high voltage region and a low voltage side defining the low voltage region, a low voltage metal trace on the low voltage side of the substrate and connected to the low voltage controller, and a high voltage metal trace on the high voltage side of the substrate and connected to the high voltage controller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for electrical isolation, and more specifically to printed circuit boards including metal traces for electrical isolation. Background Technology

[0002] Inverters (such as those used to drive motors in electric vehicles) are responsible for converting high-voltage direct current (HVDC) into alternating current (AC) to drive the motor. The presence of high voltage and switching devices can introduce significant potential differences into power electronic systems operating in multiple voltage domains, thus requiring a way to transmit information without a direct path of current across different voltage domains.

[0003] This disclosure aims to overcome one or more of the aforementioned challenges. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system including an inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery into AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter includes: an electrical isolator separating a high-voltage region of the inverter from a low-voltage region of the inverter; a low-voltage controller in the low-voltage region; and a high-voltage controller in the high-voltage region and configured to communicate with the low-voltage controller via the electrical isolator, wherein the electrical isolator includes: a printed circuit board (PCB) including a substrate having a high-voltage side defining the high-voltage region and a low-voltage side defining the low-voltage region, low-voltage metal traces on the low-voltage side of the substrate and connected to the low-voltage controller, and high-voltage metal traces on the high-voltage side of the substrate and connected to the high-voltage controller.

[0005] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a substrate comprises one or more layers, wherein at least one of the one or more layers comprises a dielectric material.

[0006] In some respects, the techniques described herein relate to a system in which the thickness of the dielectric material is 555 µm.

[0007] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a high-voltage metal trace has a first shape and a low-voltage metal trace has a second shape, wherein the first shape is substantially similar to the second shape.

[0008] In some respects, the techniques described herein relate to a system in which a high-voltage metal trace is not connected to a low-voltage metal trace via a direct current path.

[0009] In some respects, the techniques described herein relate to a system in which a high-voltage metal trace has a first outer diameter and a low-voltage metal trace has a second outer diameter, wherein the first outer diameter is substantially similar to the second outer diameter.

[0010] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a system that further includes: a battery configured to supply DC power to an inverter; and a motor configured to receive AC power from the inverter to drive the motor.

[0011] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising: a substrate having a high-voltage side defining a high-voltage region and a low-voltage side defining a low-voltage region; a low-voltage metal trace on the low-voltage side of the substrate; and a high-voltage metal trace on the high-voltage side of the substrate.

[0012] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a PCB in which the substrate comprises one or more layers.

[0013] In some respects, the techniques described herein relate to a PCB in which one or more layers include a dielectric layer.

[0014] In some respects, the techniques described herein relate to a PCB in which the thickness of the dielectric layer is configured to insulate the low-voltage side from the high-voltage side.

[0015] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a PCB in which the outer diameter of the low-voltage metal trace is 2 mm and the outer diameter of the high-voltage metal trace is 2 mm.

[0016] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a PCB in which the number of turns for the low-voltage metal trace is 2 and the number of turns for the high-voltage metal trace is 2.

[0017] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a PCB in which low-voltage metal traces are circular and high-voltage metal traces are circular.

[0018] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to an electrical isolator for a power converter, the electrical isolator comprising: a dielectric layer including a first side and a second side; a first layer including a first coupling coil on the first side of the dielectric layer; and a second layer including a second coupling coil on the second side of the dielectric layer, wherein the second coupling coil is configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the first coupling coil.

[0019] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to an electrical isolator in which a first coupling coil is configured to operate in a first voltage domain and a second coupling coil is configured to operate in a second voltage domain different from the first voltage domain.

[0020] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to an electrical isolator in which a first voltage domain is approximately 5V and a second voltage domain is approximately 800V.

[0021] In some respects, the techniques described herein relate to an electrical isolator in which the dielectric layer comprises a dielectric relative permittivity of approximately 4.2.

[0022] In some respects, the techniques described herein relate to an electrical isolator in which the dielectric layer comprises a dielectric relative permeability of approximately 1.

[0023] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to an electrical isolator in which a first coupling coil and a second coupling coil have an inductance of approximately 11 nH.

[0024] Further objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosed embodiments. The objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be realized and achieved by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

[0025] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and illustrative only, and do not limit the disclosed embodiments as claimed. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments.

[0027] Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure for a vehicle comprising a combination of inverters and converters, according to one or more embodiments, is described.

[0028] Figure 2 A description of a method for using according to one or more embodiments Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure combining inverters and converters.

[0029] Figure 3 Depicting a target according to one or more embodiments Figure 2 An exemplary system infrastructure for the controller.

[0030] Figure 4An exemplary printed circuit board (PCB) including an electrical isolator is depicted according to one or more embodiments.

[0031] Figure 5 An exemplary electrical isolator according to one or more embodiments is depicted.

[0032] Figure 6 An exemplary circuit including an electrical isolator is depicted according to one or more embodiments.

[0033] Figure 7 An exemplary data communication system including an electrical isolator is described according to one or more embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and illustrative only, and do not limit the features as claimed. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” “including,” or other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article of manufacture, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article of manufacture, or apparatus. In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, relative terms such as, for example, “about,” “substantially,” and “approximately” are used to indicate possible variations of ±10% in the stated values. In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, any numerical value may include possible variations of ±10% in the stated values.

[0035] The terminology used below may be interpreted in its broadest and most reasonable manner, even when used in conjunction with the detailed description of certain specific instances of this disclosure. In fact, certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any term intended to be interpreted in any constrained manner will be explicitly and specifically defined in this Detailed Description section.

[0036] Various embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for electrical isolation, and more specifically to printed circuit boards including metal traces for electrical isolation.

[0037] The presence of high voltage and switching devices can introduce significant potential differences into power electronic systems operating in multiple voltage domains, potentially leading to safety hazards, communication errors, and / or common-mode voltage transients. To overcome these consequences, information needs to be transmitted without a direct current path across different voltage domains. High-voltage integrated capacitors, transformers, and optocouplers are used to electrically isolate signals and data transmissions across various domains. Optocouplers are generally not used in automotive applications due to their low reliability and slow response time. These devices can be used to meet various isolation requirements specified in standards, such as basic isolation, double isolation, and enhanced isolation.

[0038] Some methods for signal and data communication across two voltage domains can be implemented using fully integrated solutions. For example, a fully integrated solution may include specialized integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing processes to produce devices capable of withstanding high voltages. A fully integrated solution may include custom packages and lead frames to withstand high voltages and provide sufficient creepage and clearance distances. A fully integrated solution may include unique IC designs and processes optimized for different isolation requirements (e.g., basic, dual, and enhanced) or component-level isolation testing and qualification. All of these factors can lead to significantly higher costs and potentially less flexibility.

[0039] One or more embodiments can avoid the expensive and inflexible high-voltage electrical isolation used for signal communication (e.g., power and / or data) across different voltage domains. One or more embodiments can provide small-coupled printed circuit board (PCB) traces separated by dielectric layers, and transceivers for robust signal communication across isolated coupled traces. One or more embodiments can provide a low-cost and highly flexible solution.

[0040] A PCB may include multiple metal layers separated by dielectric material. PCB metal traces may be configured to generate magnetically coupled coils. Each coil may be mated to a circuit system in a voltage domain. The coupled coils may be separated by one or more dielectric layers and provide sufficient breakdown voltage strength as required by standards. The magnetic coupling of the coils provides a structure that transfers information and / or power from one voltage domain to another without a direct current path. PCB metal traces can be used to generate magnetically coupled resonant networks, thereby allowing robust data communication between voltage domains, which offers numerous advantages. For example, it provides significantly lower cost and greater flexibility. One or more embodiments may include: low-voltage wafer processes, standard packages and lead frames, and sufficient PCB dielectric thickness between the coupled traces to provide the required breakdown voltage strength for basic and enhanced isolation. These advantages allow for greater freedom in placing ICs in different voltage domains because the coupled coils may not be included in a single package. Due to small manufacturing variations in the PCB traces and / or appropriate and less complex transceiver designs, one or more embodiments can provide higher performance, which can provide robust communication in the presence of device parasitics, common-mode transient immunity (CMTI) signals, and radio frequency interference (RFI) noise.

[0041] The magnetically coupled coil can be constructed from copper traces. However, other materials (e.g., aluminum, nickel, silver, gold, etc.) can be used. The PCB may include six layers, including a dielectric layer constructed, for example, from FR4. The number of PCB layers and the material used as the dielectric can vary depending on the application. For example, the following geometric parameters can be used for the coil traces. The coil traces may include a trace width of approximately 80 μm, a material (e.g., copper) thickness of approximately 1 oz, approximately two turns in each coil, an outer diameter of approximately 2 mm for each coil trace, a dielectric thickness of approximately 555 μm between coil traces, a dielectric constant of approximately 4.2, and a dielectric permeability of approximately 1. The result of these geometric parameters can be an inductance of approximately 11 nH, a coupling coefficient of approximately 0.18, and a dielectric strength of approximately 16 kV in each coil trace. In an embodiment, the interface design may include a coupling network constructed by connecting parallel resistors and capacitor components across each PCB coil, the coupling network having the following characteristics as described below. Figure 6 A more detailed description of the overall equivalent circuit.

[0042] Figure 1 Exemplary system infrastructure for a vehicle including a combined inverter and converter, according to one or more embodiments, is described. In the context of this disclosure, the combined inverter and converter may be referred to as an inverter. Figure 1As shown, the electric vehicle 100 may include an inverter 110, a motor 190, and a battery 195. The inverter 110 may include components for receiving electrical power from an external source and outputting electrical power to charge the battery 195 of the electric vehicle 100. For example, the inverter 110 may convert DC power from the battery 195 in the electric vehicle 100 into AC power to drive the motor 190 of the electric vehicle 100, but the embodiments are not limited thereto. The inverter 110 may be bidirectional and may convert DC power to AC power or vice versa, for example, during regenerative braking. The inverter 110 may be a three-phase inverter, a single-phase inverter, or a multi-phase inverter.

[0043] Figure 2 A description of a method for using according to one or more embodiments Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure for inverter 110. Electric vehicle 100 may include inverter 110, motor 190, and battery 195. Inverter 110 may include inverter controller 300 for controlling inverter 110. Figure 3 (As shown). Inverter 110 may include an LV upper phase controller 120, which is isolated from the HV upper phase controller 130 via an electrical isolator 150. Inverter 110 may include an LV lower phase controller 125, which is isolated from the HV lower phase controller 135 via an electrical isolator 150. Inverter 110 may include the HV upper phase controller 130, which includes a gate driver power supply, an upper gate driver 142, and an upper phase switch 144. Inverter 110 may include the HV lower phase controller 135, which includes a gate driver power supply, a lower gate driver 146, and a lower phase switch 148. The upper phase switch 144 and the lower phase switch 148 may be connected to the motor 190 and the battery 195.

[0044] Inverter 110 may include an LV region (e.g., where the voltage is typically less than 5V) and an HV region (e.g., where the voltage can exceed 500V). The LV region may be isolated from the HV region by an electrical isolator 150. Inverter controller 300 may be located in the LV region of inverter 110 and may send signals to and receive signals from LV upper phase controller 120. LV upper phase controller 120 may be located in the LV region of inverter 110 and may send signals to and receive signals from HV upper phase controller 130.

[0045] The upper LV phase controller 120 can send signals to and receive signals from the lower LV phase controller 125. The upper HV phase controller 130 is located in the HV region of the inverter 110. Therefore, the signal between the upper LV phase controller 120 and the upper HV phase controller 130 passes through the electrical isolator 150. The upper HV phase controller 130 can send signals to and receive signals from the upper gate driver 142. The upper gate driver 142 can send signals to and receive signals from the upper phase switch 144.

[0046] The upper phase switch 144 can be connected to the motor 190 and the battery 195. For example, the upper phase switch 144 and the lower phase switch 148 can be used to transfer energy from the motor 190 to the battery 195, from the battery 195 to the motor 190, from an external source to the battery 195, or from the battery 195 to an external source. The lower phase system of the inverter 110 can be similar to the upper phase system described above.

[0047] Figure 3 Depicting a target according to one or more embodiments Figure 2 An exemplary system infrastructure for an inverter controller 300. The inverter controller 300 may include one or more controllers.

[0048] The inverter controller 300 may include a set of instructions that can be executed to cause the inverter controller 300 to perform any one or more of the methods or computer-based functions disclosed herein. The inverter controller 300 may operate as a stand-alone device or may be connected to other computer systems or peripheral devices, for example, via a network.

[0049] In networked deployments, the inverter controller 300 can operate as a server, a client in a server-client user network environment, or a peer-to-peer (or distributed) computer system in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The inverter controller 300 can also be implemented as or integrated into various devices, such as personal computers (PCs), tablet PCs, set-top boxes (STBs), personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile devices, handheld computers, laptops, desktop computers, communication equipment, cordless phones, landline phones, control systems, cameras, scanners, fax machines, printers, pagers, personal trusted devices, network devices, network routers, switches or bridges, or any other machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) specifying the actions to be taken by that machine. In specific implementations, the inverter controller 300 can be implemented using electronic devices that provide voice, video, power, or data communication. Furthermore, although the inverter controller 300 is shown as a single system, the term "system" should also be understood to include any collection of systems or subsystems that individually or jointly execute one or more sets of instructions to perform one or more computer functions.

[0050] like Figure 3 As shown, the inverter controller 300 may include a processor 302, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both. The processor 302 can be a component in a variety of systems. For example, the processor 302 may be part of a standard inverter. The processor 302 may be one or more general-purpose processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), servers, networks, digital circuits, analog circuits, combinations thereof, or other devices now known or later developed for analyzing and processing data. The processor 302 may implement software programs, such as manually generated (i.e., programmed) code.

[0051] Inverter controller 300 may include memory 304 communicatable via bus 308. Memory 304 may be main memory, static memory, or dynamic memory. Memory 304 may include, but is not limited to, computer-readable storage media, such as various types of volatile and non-volatile storage media, including but not limited to random access memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable read-only memory, flash memory, magnetic tape or disk, optical media, etc. In one embodiment, memory 304 includes a cache or random access memory for processor 302. In alternative embodiments, memory 304 is decoupled from processor 302, such as processor cache memory, system memory, or other memory. Memory 304 may be an external storage device or database for storing data. Examples include hard disk drives, optical discs (“CDs”), digital video discs (“DVDs”), memory cards, memory sticks, floppy disks, universal serial bus (“USB”) storage devices, or any other device operable for storing data. Memory 304 is operable to store instructions executable by processor 302. The functions, actions, or tasks illustrated in the figures or described herein can be performed by processor 302, which executes instructions stored in memory 304. These functions, actions, or tasks are independent of a specific type of instruction set, storage medium, processor, or processing strategy, and can be performed by software, hardware, integrated circuits, firmware, microcode, etc., operating individually or in combination. Similarly, processing strategies may include multiprocessing, multitasking, parallel processing, etc.

[0052] As shown in the figure, the inverter controller 300 may further include a display 310, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flat panel display, a solid-state display, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a projector, a printer, or other display device now known or later developed for outputting defined information. The display 310 may serve as an interface for a user to view the operation of the processor 302, or specifically as an interface with software stored in the memory 304 or the drive unit 306.

[0053] Alternatively or concurrently, the inverter controller 300 may include an input device 312 configured to allow a user to interact with any component of the inverter controller 300. The input device 312 may be a numeric keypad, keyboard, or cursor control device (such as a mouse or joystick), touchscreen display, remote control, or any other device operable to interact with the inverter controller 300.

[0054] The inverter controller 300 may also, or alternatively, include a drive unit 306 implemented as a disk or optical disc drive. The drive unit 306 may include a computer-readable medium 322 in which one or more sets of instructions 324 (e.g., software) may be embedded. Further, the instructions 324 may embody one or more of the methods or logic described herein. The instructions 324 may reside wholly or partially within memory 304 and / or processor 302 during execution by the inverter controller 300. Memory 304 and processor 302 may also include the computer-readable medium described above.

[0055] In some systems, computer-readable medium 322 includes instructions 324 or receives and executes instructions 324 in response to a propagated signal, enabling devices connected to network 370 to transmit voice, video, audio, images, or any other data via network 370. Further, instructions 324 may be transmitted or received via communication port or interface 320 through network 370 and / or using bus 308. Communication port or interface 320 may be part of processor 302 or may be a separate component. Communication port or interface 320 may be formed in software or may be a physical connector in hardware. Communication port or interface 320 may be configured to connect to network 370, external media, display 310, or any other component in inverter controller 300, or a combination thereof. Connection to network 370 may be a physical connection (such as a wired Ethernet connection) or may be established wirelessly, as described below. Similarly, additional connections to other components of inverter controller 300 may be physical connections or may be established wirelessly. Network 370 may alternatively be directly connected to bus 308.

[0056] Although computer-readable medium 322 is shown as a single medium, the term "computer-readable medium" can include a single medium or multiple media (such as a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers) storing one or more sets of instructions. The term "computer-readable medium" can also include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions for execution by a processor or causing a computer system to perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein. Computer-readable medium 322 can be non-transitory and can be tangible.

[0057] Computer-readable medium 322 may include solid-state memory, such as a memory card, or other package housing one or more non-volatile read-only memories. Computer-readable medium 322 may be random access memory or other volatile rewritable memory. Alternatively or additionally, computer-readable medium 322 may include magneto-optical or optical media, such as magnetic disks or magnetic tapes, or other storage devices for capturing carrier signals (such as signals transmitted via a transmission medium). Digital file attachments to emails or other self-contained information archives or archive sets can be considered as distribution media as tangible storage media. Therefore, this disclosure is to be construed as including any one or more computer-readable media or distribution media in which data or instructions can be stored, as well as other equivalents and successor media.

[0058] In alternative embodiments, specialized hardware implementations (such as application-specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays, and other hardware devices) may be configured to implement one or more of the methods described herein. Applications that may include various implementations of the apparatus and systems can broadly encompass a wide range of electronic and computer systems. One or more implementations described herein may use two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices having associated control and data signals that can be transferred between or through modules, or as part of an application-specific integrated circuit, to implement functionality. Therefore, this system encompasses software, firmware, and hardware implementations.

[0059] Inverter controller 300 can be connected to network 370. Network 370 may define one or more networks, including wired or wireless networks. Wireless networks may be cellular telephone networks, 802.11, 802.16, 802.20, or WiMAX networks. Further, such networks may include public networks (such as the Internet), private networks (such as intranets), or combinations thereof, and may utilize a variety of networking protocols now available or developed later, including but not limited to TCP / IP-based networking protocols. Network 370 may include wide area networks (WANs) (such as the Internet), local area networks (LANs), campus area networks, metropolitan area networks, direct connections (such as via a universal serial bus (USB) port), or any other network that allows data communication. Network 370 may be configured to couple one computing device to another to enable data communication between the devices. Typically, network 370 may be able to use any form of machine-readable medium to transfer information from one device to another. Network 370 may include communication methods through which its information can travel between computing devices. Network 370 may be divided into subnetworks. A subnet may allow access to all other components in other components connected to it, or a subnet may restrict access between components. Network 370 may be considered a public or private network connection and may include, for example, a virtual private network or encryption or other security mechanisms employed on the public Internet.

[0060] According to various embodiments of this disclosure, the methods described herein can be implemented by software programs executable by a computer system. Further, in exemplary non-limiting embodiments, the implementation may include distributed processing, component or object distributed processing, and parallel processing. Alternatively, virtual computer system processing may be configured to implement one or more of the methods or functionalities described herein.

[0061] Although this specification describes components and functions that may be implemented in specific implementations with reference to particular standards and protocols, this disclosure is not limited to such standards and protocols. For example, standards for transmission over the Internet and other packet-switched networks (e.g., TCP / IP, UDP / IP, HTML, HTTP) represent examples of prior art. Such standards are periodically superseded by faster or more efficient equivalents with substantially the same functionality. Therefore, alternative standards and protocols with the same or similar functionality as those disclosed herein are considered their equivalents.

[0062] It will be understood that, in one embodiment, the operation of the method in question is performed by a suitable processor (or processors) of a processing (i.e., computer) system that executes instructions (computer-readable code) stored in a storage device. It will also be understood that this disclosure is not limited to any particular specific implementation or programming technique, and that any suitable technique used to implement the functionality described herein may be used to implement this disclosure. This disclosure is not limited to any particular programming language or operating system.

[0063] Figure 4 An exemplary printed circuit board (PCB) including an electrical isolator is depicted according to one or more embodiments. The electrical isolator described herein may be a component of inverter 110 (e.g., electrical isolator 150) or may be used in any system requiring electrical isolation. PCB 400 may include substrate 410, a first controller 420, a first metal trace 430, a second controller 440, and a second metal trace 450. Substrate 410 may include a high-voltage side defining a high-voltage region (e.g., a high-voltage domain of approximately 800V) and a low-voltage side defining a low-voltage region (e.g., a low-voltage domain of approximately 5V). Substrate 410 may include one or more layers, wherein at least one of the one or more layers is a dielectric layer.

[0064] A substrate 410, including one or more layers having a dielectric layer, may be disposed between a first controller 420 and a second controller 440. The first controller 420 and a first metal trace 430 may be disposed on the high-voltage side of the substrate 410. The second controller 440 and a second metal trace 450 may be disposed on the low-voltage side of the substrate 410. The dielectric layer may include a dielectric thickness 460 (e.g., T) to insulate the high-voltage side from the low-voltage side. For example, the dielectric thickness 460 may be approximately 555 μm. However, the dielectric thickness 460 of the dielectric layer may vary based on one or more of the application, voltage domain, dielectric material, metal trace material, etc. For example, the dielectric thickness 460 may be any value depending on the relative permittivity of the dielectric material or the dielectric breakdown strength required to meet the isolation voltage requirements. For example, an FR4 dielectric material may include a dielectric breakdown strength of 30 kV / mm, thus requiring a dielectric thickness of at least 400 μm to handle a 12 kV voltage across two voltage domains. For known common manufacturing materials, this range can be greater than 100 μm. The dielectric thickness 460 can be from approximately 100 μm to approximately 1500 μm. A first controller 420 can be coupled to a first metal trace 430 disposed on a high-voltage side (e.g., a first side) of the substrate 410. A second controller 440 can be coupled to a second metal trace 450 disposed on a low-voltage side (e.g., a second side) of the substrate 410. The first metal trace 430 can be electromagnetically coupled to the second metal trace 450 via the substrate 410. The first metal trace 430 is not connected to the second metal trace 450 via a direct current path. The first metal trace 430 is separated from the second metal trace 450 via the substrate 410.

[0065] Figure 5 An exemplary electrical isolator according to one or more embodiments is depicted. The substrate 410, the first metal trace 430, and the second metal trace 450 are as described above regarding... Figure 4The configuration and operation are similarly described unless otherwise described herein. Therefore, similar reference numerals are used to identify similar components. The first metal trace 430 and the second metal trace 450 may include an outer diameter 510 (e.g., D). The outer diameter 510 of the first metal trace 430 may be substantially similar to the outer diameter 510 of the second metal trace 450. The outer diameters 510 of the first metal trace 430 and the second metal trace 450 may be configured to electromagnetically couple the first metal trace 430 to the second metal trace 450. The outer diameters 510 of the first metal trace 430 and the second metal trace 450 may be approximately 2 mm. The first metal trace 430 may include a first shape and the second metal trace 450 may include a second shape. The first shape of the first metal trace 430 may be substantially similar to the second shape of the second metal trace 450. The first and second shapes may be circular; however, any shape (e.g., square, triangle, etc.) may be used. The first metal trace 430 and the second metal trace 450 may include one or more turns (e.g., two turns as depicted). However, any number of turns can be used to provide the desired inductance and coupling coefficient, as discussed below. Figure 6 The discussion.

[0066] Figure 6 An exemplary circuit including an electrical isolator is depicted according to one or more embodiments. Interface design 600 may include an input impedance 610, a first controller 420, an electrical isolator 630, and a second controller 440. The first controller 420 may include a resistor 622, a capacitor 624, and an inductor 626. The capacitor (e.g., capacitor 624) and the inductor (e.g., inductor 626) may represent the lumped circuitry of the electrical isolator 630, and / or may represent the lumped circuitry of the electrical isolator “plus” additional inductors / capacitors / resistors added to the network to achieve a desired complex impedance Z for maximum power transfer between the transmitter and receiver. in The first controller 420 may be constructed by connecting parallel resistors (e.g., resistor 622) and capacitors (e.g., capacitor 624) across each metal trace (e.g., first metal trace 430 and second metal trace 450). The electrical isolator 630 may include the first metal trace 430 and the second metal trace 450. The second controller 440 may include a first resistor 642, a second resistor 644, a ground connection 646, and a first capacitor 648. The components of the second controller 440 may define a frequency-tuned balanced differential amplifier configured to reduce CMTI and RFI noise.

[0067] The input impedance of the 600 interface design is 610, which can be defined by the following equation:

[0068] Equation 1:

[0069] Equation 2:

[0070] Equation 3:

[0071] In equations 1, 2, and 3, the constant w = (1 / LC) 0.5 And the frequency is f r =w / 2π, approximately 500MHz. In addition to the equation above, the interface design 600 may also include a set of parameters described below. The interface design 600 may include a PCB 400 comprising six layers, the dielectric layer of the substrate 410 being made of FR4 dielectric material, and the first metal trace 430 and the second metal trace 450 being made of copper. The trace width of the first metal trace 430 and the second metal trace 450 may be approximately 80μm, and the thickness approximately 1oz. The outer diameter 510 of the first metal trace 430 and the second metal trace 450 may be approximately 2mm. The dielectric layer may include a dielectric thickness 460 of approximately 555μm, and relative permittivity and permeability of approximately 4.2 and approximately 1, respectively. The parameters described above result in an inductance of approximately 11nH, a coupling coefficient of approximately 0.18, and a dielectric strength of approximately 16kV in the first metal trace 430 and the second metal trace 450. Therefore, the amplitude response of the first metal trace 430 and the second metal trace 450 may include a first resonant frequency of approximately 519 MHz, and parasitic resonances at approximately 3.25 GHz and approximately 6.78 GHz. Parasitic resonances can be reduced using a second controller 440 including a tuning element.

[0072] The parameters described above are one example of parameters used to perform the methods described herein. However, different parameters may be used depending on the application, inductance, coupling coefficient, and required dielectric strength.

[0073] Figure 7 An exemplary data communication system including an electrical isolator is depicted according to one or more embodiments. Block diagram 700 may include a transmitter 710, an electrical isolator 630, and a receiver 730. The transmitter 710 may include a differential driver 720 and a first controller 420. The differential driver 720 may be configured to receive a carrier signal at a predefined frequency (e.g., approximately 500 MHz) for transmission to the first controller 420. The carrier signal received by the first controller 420 passing through the differential driver 720 may be as referenced above. Figure 6The input impedance 610 is described. The electrical isolator 630 may include an electrical interface 740, which is configured to transfer power from a high-voltage domain to a low-voltage domain to transfer data from a high-voltage domain to a low-voltage domain, or vice versa. The receiver 730 may include a second controller 440 and a demodulator 750. The receiver 730 may be configured to receive data transferred from the high-voltage domain to the low-voltage domain. The second controller 440 may include a frequency-tuned balanced differential amplifier to reduce CM / CMTI / RFI noise. The demodulator 750 may be configured to extract data from the carrier signal for use in the low-voltage domain.

[0074] One or more embodiments can avoid the expensive and inflexible high-voltage electrical isolation used for signal communication across different voltage domains. One or more embodiments can provide small-coupled printed circuit board (PCB) traces separated by dielectric layers, and transceivers for robust signal communication across isolated coupled traces. One or more embodiments can provide a low-cost and highly flexible solution.

[0075] Other embodiments of this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This specification and examples are intended to be illustrative only, wherein the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system comprising an inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery into AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter comprises: An electrical isolator that separates the high-voltage region of the inverter from the low-voltage region of the inverter; Low voltage controller, the low voltage controller being located in the low voltage region; as well as A high-voltage controller, located in the high-voltage region and configured to communicate with the low-voltage controller via the electrical isolator. The electrical isolator includes: A printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a substrate having a high-voltage side defining the high-voltage region and a low-voltage side defining the low-voltage region, a low-voltage metal trace on the low-voltage side of the substrate and connected to the low-voltage controller, and a high-voltage metal trace on the high-voltage side of the substrate and connected to the high-voltage controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises one or more layers, and at least one of the one or more layers comprises a dielectric material.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the dielectric material is 555µm.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the high-voltage metal trace has a first shape and the low-voltage metal trace has a second shape, wherein the first shape is substantially similar to the second shape.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the high-voltage metal trace is not connected to the low-voltage metal trace via a direct current path.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the high-voltage metal trace has a first outer diameter and the low-voltage metal trace has a second outer diameter, wherein the first outer diameter is substantially similar to the second outer diameter.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: The battery is configured to supply the DC power to the inverter; as well as The motor is configured to receive AC power from the inverter to drive the motor.

8. A printed circuit board (PCB) comprising: A substrate having a high-voltage side defining a high-voltage region and a low-voltage side defining a low-voltage region; Low-voltage metal traces are located on the low-voltage side of the substrate. as well as A high-voltage metal trace on the high-voltage side of the substrate.

9. The PCB of claim 8, wherein the substrate comprises one or more layers.

10. The PCB of claim 9, wherein one or more layers comprise a dielectric layer.

11. The PCB of claim 10, wherein the thickness of the dielectric layer is configured to insulate the low-voltage side from the high-voltage side.

12. The PCB of claim 8, wherein the outer diameter of the low-voltage metal trace is 2 mm and the outer diameter of the high-voltage metal trace is 2 mm.

13. The PCB of claim 8, wherein the number of turns of the low-voltage metal trace is 2 and the number of turns of the high-voltage metal trace is 2.

14. The PCB of claim 8, wherein the low-voltage metal trace is circular and the high-voltage metal trace is circular.

15. An electrical isolator for a power converter, the electrical isolator comprising: A dielectric layer, the dielectric layer comprising a first side and a second side; A first layer, the first layer including a first coupling coil, the first layer being on the first side of the dielectric layer; as well as The second layer includes a second coupling coil, and the second layer is located on the second side of the dielectric layer. The second coupling coil is configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the first coupling coil.

16. The electrical isolator of claim 15, wherein the first coupling coil is configured to operate in a first voltage domain, and the second coupling coil is configured to operate in a second voltage domain different from the first voltage domain.

17. The electrical isolator of claim 16, wherein the first voltage domain is approximately 5V and the second voltage domain is approximately 800V.

18. The electrical isolator of claim 15, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a dielectric relative permittivity of approximately 4.

2.

19. The electrical isolator of claim 15, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a dielectric relative permeability of approximately 1.

20. The electrical isolator of claim 15, wherein the first coupling coil and the second coupling coil have an inductance of approximately 11 nH.

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