NEC PS2501-2 High Isolation Voltage Single Transistor Multi Photocoupler

NEC PS2501-2 - dual-channel photocoupler, 8-pin DIP, 5000 Vrms isolation

Condition

Used pull. The photo shows a representative unit from our stock: a black 8-pin dual-in-line body with bright-colored leads, printed NEC JAPAN over PS2501-2 over ND328, resting on a pink crinkled surface beside a millimeter rule. We have 6 on the shelf, sold each, one photocoupler per order unit. Same or next business day shipping from our Idaho warehouse. Honest pricing, no nonsense. Online since 1999. We are here for our customers, with a no-hassle satisfaction guarantee.

Product Overview

This is the two-channel member of NEC's PS2501 photocoupler family: two GaAs infrared LEDs, each optically coupled to its own silicon phototransistor inside one 8-pin plastic DIP, so two signals cross an isolation barrier in the footprint of a small logic chip. The part number on this body is a full ordering number, not a marking code, and a second line below it reads ND328, which we quote as printed rather than decode. Pulled stock, untested, covered by our satisfaction guarantee, which is why it sits at cart-filler money instead of distributor money.

Key Features

• Two channels, 8-pin plastic DIP package
• Isolation voltage 5000 V r.m.s. per the NEC/Renesas PS2501 family datasheet
• Collector-emitter voltage VCEO 80 V; collector current IC 50 mA per channel, per the same datasheet
• Forward current IF 80 mA; LED forward voltage 1.17 V to 1.4 V at 10 mA, per the same datasheet
• Power dissipation 120 mW per channel for the -2 and -4 members, per the same datasheet
• Operating temperature -55 degC to +100 degC; rise time 3 us typical, fall time 5 us typical, per the same datasheet
• UL approved, file no. E72422, per the same datasheet
• No CTR rank letter is printed on this body, so the current transfer ratio of these particular units is not established; the published family window spans 80% to 600%
• Verify against Renesas' published PS2501 series data before designing in.

Applications

• Isolating two logic or control lines between boards in a repair or a one-off build
• Feedback and status sensing across a supply's isolation barrier
• Level shifting between mismatched grounds on the bench
• Breadboard and prototype work where a socketed 8-pin DIP beats a surface-mount part

Frequently Asked Questions

How many should I order? Order the count your build needs; we have exactly 6 of these, so a design that wants a dozen isolated channels should plan around what is here rather than around a reorder. Shipping is $8 flat rate and free on orders over $28, so small parts like this ship smartest as part of a larger order.

The title says "single transistor type" - is this a one-channel part? No. That phrase is the datasheet's own wording for the OUTPUT STAGE, a plain phototransistor rather than a Darlington or a triac, and "multi photocoupler" is what NEC called the multi-channel members. The dash suffix carries the channel count: -1 is one channel in 4 pins, -2 is two channels in 8 pins, -4 is four channels in 16 pins. The body in the photo reads PS2501-2 and has 8 pins, so this listing is the two-channel part. The wording stays because it is the manufacturer's.

A used optocoupler is an odd thing to feel fond of, but two isolated channels for cart-filler money has saved more than one Saturday repair.