Patent · US Expired

Pull-up and pull-down circuits

US6031403A · kind A · utility

40Cited by
18References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 13, 1996
Grant dateFeb 29, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 13, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K17/223
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention pull-up/pull-down circuits are provided that use transistors with different threshold voltages to assure power-up to the correct predetermined state. These circuits have the ability to hold a node up or down while drawing very little DC current. In one embodiment a pull-up/pull-down circuit is provided that powers up to a first state with the pull-up node high and the pull-down node low, and that can be toggled from one state to another. A second embodiment provides a pull-up or pull-down circuit that powers up to the desired state and can be disabled by pulling the pull-up node low or pulling the pull-down node high. The circuits remain disabled until the power to the circuit is cycled.

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