Patent · US Expired

Logic level shifter for 3 volt CMOS to 5 volt CMOS or TTL

US5223751A · kind A · utility

43Cited by
6References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 29, 1991
Grant dateJun 29, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 29, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K19/018521
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A logic level shifter characterized by a first inverting stage which shifts an input signal downwardly to a lower level, and a second inverting stage which shifts the lower level upwardly to an output signal level which is greater than the input signal level. Feedback from the output is used to virtually eliminate static current drain when the input logic level is 0. The method of the invention involves downwardly shifting an input range of voltages to a lower range of voltages, and then upwardly shifting the lower range of voltages to an output range of voltages which is greater than the input range of voltages. There is preferably a first inversion in the downward shift and a second inversion in the upward shift. A sensing step senses the output voltage to reduce the static current consumed by the process.

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