High voltage tolerant and compliant driver circuit
US6118301A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 26, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 12, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 26, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/4072
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An input/output driver circuit which provides a buffer interface between a functional digital circuit and a common bus for other digital circuits achieves high levels of voltage tolerance and compliance, while requiring only two power supply pins, by using two PMOS switching transistors between the circuit's output line and an output power supply terminal, rather than only one. To turn the transistors OFF, the output power supply voltage is applied to the gate of one of them and the output line voltage to the gate of the other. This assures that at least one of the transistors is fully OFF when desired, whether or not the output line voltage exceeds the output power supply level.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.