Patent · US Expired

Output voltage driver with transient active pull-down

US4577125A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
5References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 22, 1983
Grant dateMar 18, 1986
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 22, 2003

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K19/0136
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An output voltage driver apparatus for an ECL circuit driving a capacitive load is disclosed which comprises an emitter follower means having an output emitter and a reference emitter. The output emitter is connected to the capacitive load. A pull-down transistor means is connected to the output emitter and provides a transient pull-down current for a capacitive load when the output voltage swings from a high level to a low level. A biasing means is connected between the reference emitter of the emitter follower means and the pull-down transistor means so that the pull-down transistor means is biased to turn on when the voltage at the output emitter is higher than the voltage at the reference emitter by a turn-on voltage. Because the capacitive load will hold the voltage of the output emitter higher than that of the reference emitter until the capacitance of the load is discharged, the pull-down transistor means provides a transient pull-down current which speeds up the switching time of the emitter couple logic circuit.

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