Introduction A dequate isolation between a power source and a user of electronic equipment ensures the safety of that equipment. Given the high voltages that exist in modern electronic equipment, proper isolation protects an operator from contact with excessive electrical energy should a short circuit occur in the equipment. Isolation transformers have represented a traditional solution for providing high isolation in electronic circuitry. Isolation transformers offer an effective means of meeting the requirements of domestic and international safety standards for electronic equipment.
Isolation transformers enable a variety of electronic systems to meet safety requirements.
Such systems include medical diagnostic equipment, computer systems, and telecommunications equipment. The systems may incorporate linear power supplies, SMPS, and sometimes a combination of both. A single isolation transformer can help an electronic design meet all of its isolation requirements. With proper system design, an isolation transformer can also help reduce the size and cost of the power-electronics components following it in a design. Fuses or circuit breakers, for example, can protect both the equipment and its operator from overvoltage conditions or surges of high-voltage energy.