What is PC817?

The PC817 consists of an infrared emitting diode (IR LED) and a phototransistor optically coupled to it. An infrared emitting diode and a phototransistor are optically coupled together. Electrical signals are transmitted optically between the input side and the output side without any physical connection between the two parties. The PC817 optocouplers are small and available in a variety of packages. It can be directly connected to any low voltage DC device or microcontroller. The input voltage will have the same effect from each side of the optocoupler, it will just transfer the signal to the receiver, which will then have a logic signal as output. Optocouplers are versatile due to their small and compact size and their ability to be used for control operations.

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