This week, we present the Yocto-IO-V2, a digital interface with four fully configurable inputs / outputs. In fact, it does exactly the same thing as the Yocto-IO, a product apparently very popular with Yoctopuce customers. One might well wonder why Yoctopuce decided to develop this version two...
The brand new Yocto-IO-V2
Why?
The first Yocto-IO was based on a technical feature of ON semiconductor 's NCV7608 chip, which is normally sold as a half-bridge controller. However, in 2021 ON semiconductor announced the end of NCV7608 production, without proposing a replacement. Naturally, Yoctopuce reacted immediately by ordering a large stock of NCV7608, just in case. And we were right to do so, because it really took us a long time to find a component that was more or less capable of replacing the NCV7608. We finally found the DRV8908-Q1 from Texas Instruments, which meets the necessary requirements.
It's all the same
The new Yocto-IO-V2 has exactly the same features as the Yocto-IO, namely :
- Four lines independently configurable as input or output, open drain or not
- Line voltage configurable as 3V, 5V or 5 to 28V via external power supply
- Same physical size, connectors in the same place.
Version 2 (left) next to version 1
If you're used to using Yocto-IO modules, you can replace them with Yocto-IO-V2 without further ado.
Minor differences
There are, however, two minor differences worth mentioning:
- When used with an external power supply, version 2 can deliver up to one ampere per channel, whereas the V1 was limited to 250mA.
- An undocumented feature of the V1 was that 3V or 5V could be found on the external input if the module was configured for 3 or 5 volts respectively. With the V2, 5V is available regardless of the configuration.
Conclusion
The Yocto-IO-V2 will replace the Yocto-IO in the short term, and the transition should be painless since the new module is equivalent to the old one. It's just a little more powerful, to the point where it can easily be used for something other than communication, such as driving a small stepper motor.
The Yocto-IO-V2 can drive small motors
Obviously, as the same causes tend to have the same effects, a Yocto-MaxiIO-V3 replacing the Yocto-Maxi-IO-V2 should not be long in coming.
