Patent · US Expired

Differential pair input buffer circuit with a variable current source

US5736871A · kind A · utility

25Cited by
5References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 27, 1996
Grant dateApr 7, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 27, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K19/018528
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In an input buffer circuit for use in a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising a differential pair formed of a pair of MOS transistors and receiving a reference voltage and an input signal supplied from an external, a first constant current source MOS transistor connected to the differential pair, and a load circuit connected to the differential pair, a second constant current source MOS transistor is connected in parallel to the first constant current source MOS transistor. A gate voltage of the second constant current source MOS transistor is controlled by a reference voltage convening circuit which receives the reference voltage. When the reference voltage elevates, the reference voltage converting circuit elevates the gate voltage of the second constant current source MOS transistor, so as to reduce an ON resistance of the second constant current source MOS transistor, thereby changing a source potential of the pair of MOS transistors of the differential pair in the same direction as that of the change of the reference voltage.

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