High Cost-Effectiveness for RS485 Isolation: NOVOSENSE Launches the SP301H/L Series Three-Channel Digital Isolators

　　NOVOSENSE announced the launch of the SP301H/L series, a family of three-channel digital isolators built on its proprietary third-generation capacitive isolation technology. Designed specifically for RS485 communication isolation applications, the SP301H/L series delivers comprehensive improvements in data rate, power consumption, electromagnetic immunity, and package size.

　　Compared with the previous-generation SP301A and NIRS31 series products, the SP301H/L supports communication speeds of up to 8 Mbps, features a low quiescent current design, and offers enhanced electromagnetic immunity performance. Housed in a compact SSOW10 wide-body package with fine-pitch leads, the device achieves higher integration while significantly reducing PCB size, providing customers with a high-performance, highly reliable, and cost-effective isolation solution.

　　RS485 communication is widely used in power metering terminals, industrial automation systems, and renewable energy storage applications due to its long transmission distance, strong noise immunity, and flexible multi-node networking capability. In these applications, isolation devices play a critical role in ensuring communication reliability and system safety. Conventional RS485 isolation solutions based on three optocouplers suffer from limitations such as high component count, restricted bandwidth, aging-related performance drift, and large PCB footprint, making them increasingly unable to meet the demands of high-speed communication, long service life, and compact system design. As system performance requirements continue to increase, digital isolation is becoming the preferred approach for next-generation RS485 isolation solutions.

　　High Cost-Effectiveness: Replacing Three Optocouplers with a Single Chip for Simplified Design and Lower System Cost

　　Traditional isolated RS485 communication solutions typically require three optocouplers together with multiple external resistors and capacitors, resulting in a complex BOM list, higher procurement and inventory management costs, and increased PCB space consumption. By integrating three isolation channels into a single device, the SP301H/L directly replaces discrete optocouplers and their supporting circuitry, significantly simplifying the BOM, reducing component count and routing complexity, and improving overall system integration.

　　The SP301H/L adopts a compact SSOW10 wide-body package, reducing PCB size by more than 60% compared to conventional optocoupler-based solutions and freeing up valuable board space for system designers.

　　In terms of performance, the SP301H/L supports data rates up to 8 Mbps on the data channel and up to 1 Mbps on the enable control channel, effectively overcoming the bandwidth limitations of traditional optocouplers. This enables high-speed, low-latency communication required by applications such as smart electricity meters and industrial fieldbus networks. To support different system architectures, the SP301H features a default-high enable pin, while the SP301L features a default-low enable pin, providing greater flexibility for MCU enable-logic implementation.

　　The device also features a low quiescent current design, making it suitable for battery-powered equipment and field instruments with stringent power consumption requirements. With an operating ambient temperature range of –40°C to +125°C, the SP301H/L fully meets industrial-grade application requirements. Combining high integration, compact packaging, strong performance, and simplified external circuitry, the SP301H/L enables seamless migration from optocoupler-based solutions while addressing the growing demand for miniaturization, lightweight design, and high reliability in smart metering and industrial systems.

　　High Reliability: Comprehensive Immunity Enhancement for Stable Communication Operation

　　Smart electricity meters are typically deployed in complex electromagnetic environments where communication links must withstand power-grid surges, switching noise, and interference introduced by long-distance cabling. Through optimized isolation architecture and enhanced immunity design, the SP301H/L significantly improves electromagnetic susceptibility (EMS) performance for RS485 communication links, reducing bit-error rates and communication interruptions while ensuring stable and reliable data transmission.

　　Compared with the previous-generation SP301A and NIRS31 series, the SP301H/L delivers substantial improvements in electromagnetic robustness:

　　·EOS (Electrical Overstress) tolerance is improved by approximately 10%, with latch-up immunity exceeding 10 V. This significantly enhances resistance to power-supply overstress conditions, reducing the risk of damage caused by abnormal power fluctuations and extending overall system lifetime.

　　·Excellent power-supply noise immunity enables the device to maintain normal operation and error-free communication even under high-frequency, high-amplitude system noise interference in the MHz range, improving reliability in harsh electromagnetic environments.

　　·Common-mode transient immunity (CMTI) reaches a typical value of 200 kV/μs, effectively suppressing common-mode transient disturbances and ensuring accurate and stable signal transmission.

　　In addition, the SP301H/L is built on NOVOSENSE’s industry-leading third-generation capacitive isolation technology, delivering outstanding isolation performance. The device supports an isolation withstand voltage of up to 5 kVrms (1 minute) and surge voltage capability exceeding 10 kV, meeting reinforced insulation requirements.

　　Comprehensive “Isolation+” Portfolio Setting New Benchmarks for Isolation ICs

　　Leveraging its extensive expertise and technological leadership in isolation technologies, NOVOSENSE offers a comprehensive “Isolation+” product portfolio covering digital isolators, isolated sensing solutions, isolated interfaces, isolated power supplies, and isolated gate drivers. Together, these products form a complete ecosystem designed to provide robust safety barriers for high-voltage systems.

　　·“+” Represents Enhanced Safety: NOVOSENSE Isolation+ products deliver safety performance beyond basic isolation standards, helping customers establish stronger safety boundaries between high- and low-voltage domains.

　　·“+” Represents a Complete Product Ecosystem: Built upon NOVOSENSE’s mature capacitive isolation IP platform, the Isolation+ portfolio encompasses digital isolators, isolated sensing devices, isolated interfaces, isolated power supplies, and isolated drivers, providing customers with a comprehensive one-stop isolation solution.

　　·“+” Represents Deep Application Enablement: NOVOSENSE Isolation+ products address the critical requirements of high-voltage electric vehicle platforms, high-power solar, energy storage and EV charging systems, and highly integrated, high-efficiency AI server power supplies, enabling system-level safety, reliability, and efficiency.

　　As of 2025, cumulative shipments of NOVOSENSE isolation-related ICs have exceeded 2.7 billion units. As a global leading supplier of isolation ICs, NOVOSENSE remains committed to advancing isolation technology through its comprehensive Isolation+ portfolio, leveraging core isolation IP and a complete product ecosystem to deliver one-stop isolation solutions for customers worldwide.