Patent · US Expired

Multi function patch pin circuit

US4250407A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
7References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 23, 1977
Grant dateFeb 10, 1981
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 23, 1997

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K19/0823
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A single patch on an integrated circuit is arranged to patch any one of four different logical states into the circuit, according to whether the pin is grounded, floating, coupled to a supply rail via a resistor, or coupled to the supply rail directly. In one embodiment, the voltage thresholds of three transistors are arranged so that they switch on successively in response to successively higher voltages on the patch pin, thereby controlling the binary logic signals at each of two output points in the circuit; in the other embodiment, multi-emitter transistors are arranged with differing current thresholds to achieve the same result.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.