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US 11,239,831 B2Granted
Level shifter
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsSundeep Lakshmana Javvaji, Vinod Joseph Menezes, Jayateerth Pandurang Mathad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an example, an apparatus includes a level-shifting circuit and a ramp detector. The level-shifting circuit has a current choke and a transistor coupled across the current choke, the level-shifting circuit adapted to be coupled to a first voltage source. The ramp detector has a ramp detector input adapted to be coupled to the first voltage source and a ramp detector output coupled to the transistor, the ramp detector adapted to be coupled to a second voltage source.
Claims21
An apparatus, comprising:
- a level-shifting circuit having a current choke and a transistor coupled across the current choke, the level-shifting circuit adapted to be coupled to a first voltage source;
- and
- a ramp detector having a ramp detector input adapted to be coupled to the first voltage source and a ramp detector output coupled to the transistor, the ramp detector adapted to be coupled to a second voltage source.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a ramp detector configured to:
- detect a slew rate of a voltage source;
- determine whether the slew rate of the voltage source exceeds a programmed amount;
- and
- provide an output signal having an asserted value responsive to the slew rate of the voltage source exceeding the programmed amount;
- and
- a level-shifting circuit coupled to the voltage source and the ramp detector, the level-shifting circuit configured to:
- limit a quiescent current of the level-shifting circuit via a current choke while the slew rate of the voltage source does not exceed the programmed amount;
- and
- bypass the current choke responsive to the output signal having the asserted value.
7 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a first component having a first component input, the first component configured to operate in a first voltage domain defined according to a first voltage source;
- a second component having a second component output, the second component configured to operate in a second voltage domain defined according to a second voltage source;
- and
- a level shifter, comprising:
- a ramp detector configured to:
- detect a slew rate of the first voltage source;
- determine whether the slew rate of the first voltage source exceeds a programmed amount;
- and
- provide an output signal having an asserted value responsive to the slew rate of the first voltage source exceeding the programmed amount;
- and
- a level-shifting circuit having a level-shifting circuit input coupled to the second component output and a level-shifting circuit output coupled to the first component input, the level-shifting circuit also coupled to the first voltage source and the ramp detector, and the level-shifting circuit configured to:
- convert a signal provided by the second component from the second voltage domain to the first voltage domain and provide the signal according to the second voltage domain to the first component;
- limit a quiescent current of the level-shifting circuit via a current choke while the slew rate of the first voltage source does not exceed the programmed amount;
- and
- bypass the current choke responsive to the output signal having the asserted value.
12 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a level-shifting circuit having:
- a first arm including a first portion of a cross-coupled latch, a first diode-coupled transistor stack, and a first input transistor;
- a second arm including a second portion of the cross-coupled latch, a second diode-coupled transistor stack, and a second input transistor;
- a first current choke adapted to be coupled between the first input transistor and ground;
- a second current choke adapted to be coupled between the second input transistor and ground;
- a first shorting transistor adapted to be coupled across the first current choke between the first input transistor and ground;
- and
- a second shorting transistor adapted to be coupled across the second current choke between the second input transistor and ground;
- and
- a ramp detector having capacitor coupled via a current mirror to the first shorting transistor and the second shorting transistor, the ramp detector also having a grounded gate transistor coupled to the capacitor.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.