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US 12,483,445 B2Granted
Differential transmitter circuitry with ESD circuitry
AssigneeNXP B.V.
InventorsDolphin Abessolo Bidzo, Chinmayee Kumari Panigrahi, Marcin Grad, Paul Hendrik Cappon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A communications circuit includes transmitter circuitry for driving a differential signal on two die terminal. The transmitter circuitry includes two drive transistors who conductivity is controlled to provide a path from a common node to each of the die terminals. A string of one or more diodes is coupled to the common node to provide a path for discharging ESD current from the common node from an ESD event affecting either die terminal.
Claims20
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a first die terminal;
- a second die terminal;
- transmitting circuitry configured to drive a first output signal on the first die terminal and a second output signal on the second die terminal, the transmitting circuitry includes:
- a first drive transistor including a first current terminal coupled to the first die terminal and a second current terminal coupled to a common node, wherein the first drive transistor is in a path from the first die terminal to the common node, the common node is coupled to a high supply voltage terminal;
- a second drive transistor including a first current terminal coupled to the second die terminal and a second current terminal coupled to the common node, wherein the second drive transistor is in a path from the second die terminal to the common node;
- a string of one or more diodes connected in series in a cathode to anode configuration, an anode of a first diode of the string is coupled to the common node and a cathode of a last diode of the string is coupled to a low supply voltage terminal such that the string is located in a path between the common node to the low supply voltage terminal.
3 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a first die terminal;
- a second die terminal;
- a first drive transistor including a first current terminal coupled to the first die terminal and a second current terminal coupled to a common node, wherein the first drive transistor is in a path from the first die terminal to the common node, wherein the first drive transistor steers current from the common node to the first die terminal to produce a first output signal;
- a second drive transistor including a first current terminal coupled to the second die terminal and a second current terminal coupled to the common node, wherein the second drive transistor is in a path from the second die terminal to the common node, wherein the second drive transistor steers current from the common node to the second die terminal to produce a second output signal, wherein the first output signal and the second output signal are characterized as a differential signal and are complementary signals to each other;
- a string of one or more diodes connected in series in a cathode to anode configuration, an anode of a first diode of the string is coupled to the common node and a cathode of a last diode of the string is coupled to a low supply voltage terminal such that the string is located in a path between the common node to the low supply voltage terminal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.