Other Parts Discussed in Thread: DS26LV32AT
I hope this is the right place to post this question. If not, please let me know where to go next.
This part is used in a basically unterminated configuration. There is a series resistor (each 590 Ohms) on each input; also, between each resistor and each input to the part, there's a transzorb connected to ground. It's a very low frequency application and the cable is only a few feet long. I believe the driver is a DS26LV31 but I'm not sure. (In the lab, I used an Agilent 8116A pulse generator.)
There's errant behavior in one installation of this part. It's going to a Vo = L state with an open circuit on the inputs*. It's an intermittent that can't be duplicated; it seems to be happening randomly and only after long periods of operating normally. In one case, it seemed that shorting the input* caused it to go to the V0 = L state after removing the short.
So, I continued trying to come up with a way to reliably induce the failure.
Just for information (I know a certain range of common mode voltage on both pins with the pins shorted is an area of concern with this part) I tried driving the + side of the pulse generator into both inputs*. (The pulse generator and the part have common grounds.) With this configuration, and varying the amplitude of the input from 5V to 1V (10Vpp wrt ground), the part's output was at a constant "L" state for a certain range of input amplitude. So, I tried the same test on another installation (an installation that hasn't exhibited the random failures described above) of the part and there were no cases of amplitude that resulted in a constant "L" on that part's output.
Any ideas what might be going on here? Just a failed part that has failed in a rare mode? Any suggestions for other tests to try?
Thanks,
Jeff
* input: input to the inline resistors, not the part's input pins
