SINGLE 5 V SUPPLY APPLICATION INFORMATION
The AD8141 and AD8142 require a nominal voltage of 5 V
across their VS+ and VS− power supply pins, and that their EPADs
be connected to system ground; the voltage between VS+ and the
local system ground must be greater than or equal to 2.5 V and
less than or equal to 5 V. These requirements can be met by a
single +5 V supply, or split supplies such as ±2.5 V, +3 V/−2 V,
and so on. Operating the AD8141 and AD8142 with ±2.5 V
supplies provides considerable power savings compared with
other drivers operating at ±5 V supplies, without any disadvantages
with regard to input and output ranges in most cases.
The receivers used with the AD8141 and AD8142, such as the
AD8145, AD8143, AD8123, and AD8128, generally operate
with split supplies, ranging from ±5 V to ±12 V. The split supply
arrangement results in a receiver input common-mode range
that is centered at 0 V relative to the local ground reference and
ranges to within a volt or two from each rail. Ground potential
differences normally exist between the driver end and the receiver
end, and these differences cause the relative common-mode
voltages between the driver and receiver to shift. See Figure 43
for an example.
AD8141/AD8142
In Figure 43, VR, CM = VO, CM + VSHIFT. If VO, CM = 0 V and VSHIFT =
2 V, VR, CM is 2 V. This is because the receiver ground is shifted
down by 2 V relative to the driver ground, and the common-
mode level on the cable stays constant. It can be seen from this
example that the most margin to absorb ground shifts exists
when the center of the receiver input common-mode voltage
range relative to its ground is the same as the output common-
mode voltage of the driver with respect to its ground.
Most receivers operate with their input common-mode ranges
centered at 0 V; therefore, the best case for the driver is to set its
output common-mode voltage to 0 V. This is not possible for the
AD8141 or AD8142on a single 5 V supply, but can be accomplished
using split supplies. If a single 5 V supply is required, the rail-
to-rail output allows the AD8141 output common-mode voltage
to be set to less than 1 V to be as close as possible to the ideal
setting of 0 V. Whereas the AD8141 has uncommitted VOCM inputs,
the AD8142 has internal sync-encoding circuitry that fixes the
nominal output common-mode voltage at 1.5 V above the negative
rail. Each part has a resistive divider on the VOCM input that sets
the nominal output common-mode voltage to 1.5 V above the
negative rail when no external voltage is applied. The divider
consists of a 8.75 kΩ resistor to VS+ and a 3.75 kΩ resistor to VS−,
forming a Thevenin equivalent load of 2.6 kΩ to 30% of the
voltage across the supplies. In the single 5 V supply case, the
Thevenin load voltage is 30% of 5 V above 0 V, or 1.5 V.
DRIVER
AD8141/AD8142
+
VOCM
–
49.9Ω
100Ω
49.9Ω UTP
–
100Ω
+
+
VO, CM
–
+
VR, CM
–
+–
VSHIFT
Figure 43. End-to-End Common-Mode Shifts due to Ground Shifts
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