Patent · US Expired

Integrated circuit arrangement with an open-collector transistor designed as npn transistor

US5973513A · kind A · utility

2Cited by
3References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 7, 1997
Grant dateOct 26, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 7, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10D84/645
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In an integrated circuit arrangement with an open-collector transistor of the npn type, the collector of the open-collector transistor is connected through a collector resistor with preferably low ohmic resistance to an open-collector output of the circuit arrangement to which an output voltage is applied, and, through a parasitic diode which is switched in the reverse direction when the output voltage has a positive value, to a ground terminal of the circuit arrangement. The emitter of the open-collector transistor is connected to the ground terminal of the circuit arrangement and the base of the open-collector transistor is connected to a base current source that generates a base current. The open-collector transistor is switched to an inverse conducting state by the base current when the voltage value of the output voltage is below a negative threshold voltage value, in which state a voltage drop occurs across the collector resistor that is so great that the parasitic diode remains switched in the reverse direction.

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