Safety Standards of Photocouplers

When mounted in electrical equipment as a means of isolation to protect the human body from electric shock, photocouplers may be subject to various regulations in terms of safety standards.
Various regulations and standards for ensuring safety exist.
From the perspectives of design and manufacturing, safety standards can be categorized into "Equipment standards" and "Component standards".
“Equipment standards” are the basis for designing and manufacturing equipment. Equipment standards differ according to equipment type, isolation method and its class, driving voltage, etc.
 ”Component standards” specify measurement methods or specifications of the isolation voltage etc. for photocouplers.

Major safety standards

Component standards
UL 1577
 → Safety standard for optical isolators
     isolation voltage-withstand test (1 min), etc.
　 Certification body: UL (USA)

EN IEC 60747-5-5
 → Standard for Optoelectronic devices – Photocouplers
     maximum operating isolation voltage, maximum transient
     isolation voltage, partial discharge test, etc.
     Certification body : VDE (Germany), TUV (Germany)

Equipment standards
EN IEC 62368-1
 → Standard for Audio/Video, Information and Communication
       Technology Equipment
    Certification body: VDE (Germany), SEMKO (Sweden), etc.)

• Products
  • Isolators/Solid State Relays
  • Photorelays
• Application Notes
  • Photocouplers , Photorelays
• FAQ
  • Isolators/Solid State Relays