iC-GF
TRANSCEIVER
Rev C1, Page 2/26
DESCRIPTION
iC-GF is a fully IO-Link compliant transceiver iC with
two independent switching channels which enables
digital sensors to drive peripheral elements, such as
programmable logic controllers (PLC) and relays, for
example. All functions are controlled either by pins
or via SPI interface, with extended functionality and
configurability in SPI mode.
The output switches can be configured for push-pull,
high-side or low-side operation and share a common
tri-state function (separate tri-state switching in SPI
mode). The switches are designed to cope with high
driver currents of at least 100 mA (RSET = 6.8 kΩ),
are current limited and also short-circuit-proof in that
they shut down with excessive temperature or over-
load. The output current limit can be easily set with a
resistor at pin ISET.
The protective overload feature is accomplished in a
way so that capacitive loads can be switched with low
repeat rates without the protective circuitry cutting in.
In the event of excess temperature an error message
is generated immediately.
Errors are signalled by two open-collector outputs:
NOVL (for excess temperature and overloads) and
NUVD (for low voltage at VBR or VCC resp. VCC3).
The output switches are shut down with all types of
errors.
To avoid error signalling during power-up, the output
switches remain at high impedance for ca. 50 ms.
In SPI mode, the chip acts as an SPI slave and allows
function configuration via register access. It also fea-
tures a diagnostic register and supports
communica-
tion requests
(= IO-Link
wake-up)
at pin CFI, which
generate interrupt signals at pin NDIAG.
The pins on the 24 V line side of the sensor inter-
face (VBO, QP1, QN1, QP2, QN2, VN and CFI) are
protected against reverse polarity. This makes any
external reverse polarity protection diodes superflu-
ous.
iC-GF features an integrated switching converter
which generates voltages VCC (5 V) and VCC3
(3.3 V) with the aid of two downstream linear reg-
ulators. For
medium
currents the inductor may as
well be replaced by a resistor (e.g. 170
Ω),
result-
ing though in a considerably less efficiency. If only a
low current is required inductor LVH may be omitted
completely; the linear regulators are then powered
directly by VBR.
The switching regulator comes equipped with a
spread spectrum oscillator to reduce interferences.
Input INV1 permits the input signal at channel 1 (IN1)
to be inverted and if left unconnected, switches the
chip into SPI mode.
The connected sensor can be parametrised using the
feedback channel with a high voltage input (CFI
→
CFO).
ICHAUS [ IC-HAUS GMBH ]
