Crowbar current elimination
US9692414B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 8, 2015 |
| Grant date | Jun 27, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 8, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K19/0013
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In one embodiment, an inverter generates an inverted clock signal using (i) first P-type and N-type transistors connected in cascode between supply and ground nodes and (ii) control circuitry receiving different phase-offset input clock signals that ensure that the cascode-connected transistors are never even partially on at the same time, thereby preventing crowbar current from occurring through the cascode-connected devices. In one implementation, the control circuitry has two P-type transistors and two N-type transistors configured to receive three phase-offset input clock signals to prevent crowbar current in the inverter. The control circuitry has pass transistors that selectively allow one of the phase-offset input signals to be applied to the gate of one of the cascode-connected transistors with minimal delay, thereby enabling the inverter to operate properly over a relatively wide range of input clock frequencies.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.