IR Announces Availability of a Microelectronic Relay Designers Manual to Simplify Selection and Circuit Design

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — International Rectifier, IR® (NYSE: IRF), a world leader in power management technology, today announced the availability of a CD-based Microelectronic Relay (MER) Designers Manual featuring a selection guide, application notes, datasheets and design tips on the company's extensive portfolio of MER products.

IR's offering of MERs includes both MOSFET- and IGBT-based photovoltaic relays and photovoltaic isolator products. The MOSFET-based devices are ideal solid-state relays for switching AC and DC loads and sensory signals from a few milliamps to several hundred watts in industrial controls, instrumentation, peripheral telecom devices, computer peripherals and office equipment. Devices in the portfolio featuring power MOSFET outputs in a DIP6 packages with center-tap output configurations allow for added design flexibility for AC/DC- and DC-only parametric choices. The IGBT-based photovoltaic relay is ideal for switching industrial loads up to 400W or 280VA. Available in a DIP14 package, the device is designed as a drop-in replacement for Mercury-wetted reed relays.

The Photovoltaic Isolators offer single- and dual-channel, optically isolated outputs that can be used for directly driving the gates of discrete power MOSFETs and IGBTs, allowing designers the flexibility of creating their own, custom-made solid-state relays capable of controlling loads over 1,000 volts and 100 amps.

"International Rectifier offers a range of MER products with attractive top-of-the-line packaging, semiconductor switch technology and electrical specification combinations particularly for industrial control applications. The designers manual is a convenient resource for selecting and designing MER products from IR's extensive portfolio," said Andy Serkuczewski, IR's director of MER product marketing.

IR's MER products are lead-free and RoHS-compliant. The MER Designers Manual is available to order online.