[sdiy] Vactrols == Optocouplers?

[Colin f]

> It was my understanding that an opto-isolater, or 
> opto-coupler is more of a
> generic term used  for any device that uses light as an electrically
> isolated controller, much like hall-effect devices do with 
> magnetism.  With
> that, a vactrol would be considered a type of opto-isolator, 
> but one that
> incorporates a photocell resistor.  I wasn't aware that 
> opto-isolators infer
> to the use of a photo transistor necessarily.

True, but if you go looking for an opto-isolator IC, I'd guess 99% of them
will be phototransistor based.
I just assumed that that's what the original poster might have been looking
at in his Digimouseco catalogue.

Cheers,
Colin f