18 Rev. 1.6
Si8650/51/52/55
2. Functional Description
2.1. Theory of Operation
The operation of an Si865x channel is analogous to that of an opto coupler, except an RF carrier is modulated
instead of light. This simple architecture provides a robust isolated data path and requires no special
considerations or initialization at start-up. A simplified block diagram for a single Si865x channel is shown in
Figure 5.
Figure 5. Simplified Channel Diagram
A channel consists of an RF Transmitter and RF Receiver separated by a semiconductor-based isolation barrier.
Referring to the Transmitter, input A modulates the carrier provided by an RF oscillator using on/off keying. The
Receiver contains a demodulator that decodes the input state according to its RF energy content and applies the
result to output B via the output driver. This RF on/off keying scheme is superior to pulse code schemes as it
provides best-in-class noise immunity, low power consumption, and better immunity to magnetic fields. See
Figure 6 for more details.
Figure 6. Modulation Scheme
RF
OSCILLATOR
MODULATOR DEMODULATOR
A B
Semiconductor-
Based Isolation
Barrier
Transmitter Receiver
Input Signal
Output Signal
Modulation Signal
