Patent · US Expired

Integrated circuit having buffering circuitry with slew rate control

US6066971A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
8References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 2, 1997
Grant dateMay 23, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 2, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K19/00315
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Buffering circuitry (10) uses pull-up slew rate control circuitry (12) and pull-down slew rate control circuitry (14) to control the rising and falling slew rates of an output signal (50) provided by buffering circuitry (10). Pull-up slew rate control circuitry (12) and pull-down slew rate control circuitry (14) may be used in an embodiment of buffering circuitry (10) which provides a higher output voltage VHIGH than the standard power voltage VPOWER which is used to power most of the circuitry. Buffering circuitry (10) utilizes distributed resistive elements (89-91) to provide improved electrostatic discharge protection. Buffering circuitry (10) utilizes a low power level shifter (16). Voltage reference generation circuitry (18) may be used to provide a stable low power reference voltage VREF (42).

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