Panasonic El Works : Commercializes New "PhotoIC Coupler" for High-speed Communications between Industrial Equipments

Panasonic's new 'PhotoIC Coupler', which will enable faster data communication speeds between industrial equipments.

Osaka, Japan - Panasonic Corporation announced today that it has developed new 'PhotoIC Coupler' [1], which transmits light signals while allowing electrical insulation, for launch in September 2016. It is designed for high-speed transmission of signals between industrial equipment such as motors and PLCs [2].

Following the progressing of IoT at factories, there is growing demand for faster and higher-volume data communications between various equipments, such as PLCs and sensors, in factories and processes. Immunity to noise generated inside and outside the equipment is also needed to guard against equipment malfunction and breakdown. With the demand for higher functionality, increasing compact-sizing and the growing number of components can cause high temperatures inside the equipment; so guaranteed operation in high-temperature environments is also required. The PhotoIC Coupler newly developed has the following features. It will be launched onto the market for the first time.

Panasonic's new the 'PhotoIC Coupler' features:

1. Capable of high-speed communications at a transfer rate of Typ.50 Mbps
2. High noise immunity contributes to improve equipment's function
   High instantaneous common transient immunity (CMTI [3]): Min.15 kV/μsec or more
3. Operates safely at high temperatures
   Guaranteed performance at a high temperature (-40 to +105℃)

Supposed applications:

Industrial equipment, such as PLCs, temperature controllers, sensors, motors, inverters, servo amplifiers; energy management devices, including power conditioners and storage batteries; and others [various I/O (input/output) interfaces, elevators, and control panels for environmental infrastructure]

[1] PhotoIC CouplerIt is device that can transform signal with electrical insulation.
PhotoIC Coupler is Panasonic's product name.[2] Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)A controller used for production facilities at factories[3] Common mode transient immunity (CMTI)An index showing to what degree equipment is resistant to malfunction caused by noise signals.