Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has launched the TLX9161T, an automotive photorelay in a small SO12L-T package that achieves an output withstand voltage of 1500 V (min), supporting the high-voltage requirements of electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
Reducing charging time and improving driving range remain key engineering challenges for EVs. Achieving both requires the efficient operation of the battery management system (BMS), which monitors charge status to optimize performance and ensures isolation between the battery and the vehicle body for the safe operation of high-voltage systems.
Electrically isolated photorelays are an important component in these BMS designs.
The TLX9161T is a miniaturized version of Toshiba’s TLX9160T, with a built-in MOSFET chip that allows integration into the smaller SO12L-T package. The new package reduces mounting area by approximately 25% compared to the SO16L-T, contributing to more compact and cost-efficient BMS designs. The pin pitch and layout remain the same, ensuring compatibility with existing circuit board patterns.
To support high-voltage operation, the photorelay uses a resin with a Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) exceeding 600 (IEC 60664-1 Material Group I). Its pin configuration ensures a creepage distance greater than 5mm on the detector side, meeting IEC 60664-1 requirements and supporting an operating voltage of up to 1000 V.
By expanding its lineup of automotive photorelays, Toshiba aims to provide component-level solutions that help engineers address critical EV battery system challenges and advance the broader adoption of electric mobility.
Filed Under: Batteries, BMS, Technology News