Pin driver circuit
US4800294A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 25, 1988 |
| Grant date | Jan 24, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 25, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R31/31922
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A pin driver circuit for driving a digital integrated circuit is capable of producing symmetrical rise and fall characteristics, yet is suitable for implementation in monolithic bipolar integrated circuits. This circuit includes a pair of matched transconductance amplifiers, one at each end of an output resistor, connected between a voltage source and a return voltage. Each amplifier has one of a pair of equal resistors between its input terminal and high output terminal to develop an equal swing voltage on alternate ends of the output resistor when a swing voltage current source is switched between the two input resistors by a control signal. The output is taken from the junction between the output resistor and the low output terminal of the amplifier at the high end of the output resistor. An additional current source is connected to the input resistor of the amplifier at the low end of the divider to provide a current which may be adjusted to allow the standing current in the output resistor to be reduced to a satisfactory minimum. Additional circuitry can be added to allow the output to be put in a high impedance condition. In a preferred embodiment, the high level of the outpu…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.