Introduction

The TCC-82 provides full electrical isolation for bidirectional serial communication between two RS-232 devices in a compact, industrial-grade package. Both sides of an RS-232 connection are isolated optically to provide perfect protection against lightning surges, accidental high-voltage shorts, and ground loops. The built-in, wide range isolators are tested to ensure that they can withstand more than 4 kV rms input to output for one minute. This means that the TCC-82 not only meets the requirements of general serial data communications, but also the high standards required by industrial automation and medical applications. The TCC-82 protects the TxD and RxD data lines, and it also protects the RTS and CTS handshake lines for a total of four isolated channels to provide complete protection of your RS-232 applications.

External Power Source Not Required

The TCC-82 supports port-powered operation, which means that it can obtain power directly from the attached serial devices. Power is obtained from the RS-232 TxD, RTS, and DTR lines, regardless of whether the signal is high or low, eliminating the need for an external power supply. However, external power can be used if handshake lines are not available, if the serial cable is too long, or if the serial device is a low-power device. For external power, the TCC-82 can use a 5 to 12 VDC adapter or a USB power cord. Note that both sides of the connection are powered independently, so if necessary, one side can rely on port power and the other on an external power source.

Care should be taken when choosing the external power supply if your application requires the full 4 kV of isolation. Most commercial power supplies provide only 1500 VAC isolation between the primary and secondary windings. If you are using external power for both sides of the TCC-82, make sure that separate power sources are used, each with sufficient isolation protection.