Patent · US Expired

Low side line driver

US5717557A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
6References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 12, 1994
Grant dateFeb 10, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 12, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K19/0016
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A low side line driver (10) includes a slew rate limiter (12) providing current to a pre-charge reference circuit (16). The pre-charge reference circuit (16) generates a constant voltage at the input of a pre-drive circuit (18). Upon a transition to the active state, the pre-charge reference circuit (16) is disabled and current from the slew rate limiter (12) flows to pre-drive circuit (18) which becomes enabled without undue propagation delay or high instantaneous slew rate due to the pre-charge voltage generated by the pre-charge reference circuit (16) before turn on. The pre-drive circuit (18) provides base current to an output driver (22) from a negative voltage created in a charge pump (28). At turn off, an active turn off circuit (26) produces a short output pulse causing rapid discharge of base capacitance of the output driver (22) in order to minimize turn off propagation delay.

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