Programmable driver method and apparatus for high and low voltage operation
AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorGuy Harlan Humphrey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pad driver method and apparatus is presented. The pad driver includes a dual path configuration. The dual path includes a first path and a second path. Both paths include a pre-driver. The first path and the second path communicate high voltage signals and low voltage signals. The pre-driver in the first path drives a pFET device. The pre-driver in the second path drives an nFET device. The pFET and nFET devices provide an output signal, which drives a pad. Each pre-driver further includes a first path and a second path. The first path in the pre-driver supports high voltage operation and the second path in the pre-driver supports low voltage operation.
Claims11
A method of operating a pad driver, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating an input signal;
- generating a first voltage from a first pre-driver in response to the input signal, the first voltage driving a first device and causing the first device to operate producing a first signal;
- generating a second voltage from a second pre-driver in response to the input signal, the second voltage driving a second device and causing the second device to operate producing a second signal;
- and
- generating an output voltage in response to the first signal and in response to the second signal.
A pad driver comprising:
- means for generating an input signal;
- means for generating a first voltage from a first pre-driver means in response to the input signal, the first voltage driving a first logic means and causing the first logic means to operate producing a first signal;
- means for generating a second voltage from a second pre-driver means in response to the input signal, the second voltage driving a second logic means and causing the second logic means to operate producing a second signal;
- and
- means for generating an output voltage in response to the first signal and in response to the second signal.
A pad driver comprising:
- an input generating an input signal;
- a first pre-driver coupled to the input and generating a first pre-driver signal in response to the input signal from the input;
- a second pre-driver coupled to the input and generating a second pre-driver signal in response to the input signal from the input;
- a first output device coupled to the first pre-driver and generating a first output signal in response to the first pre-driver signal generated by the first pre-driver;
- a second output device coupled to the second pre-driver and generating a second output signal in response to the second pre-driver signal generated by the second pre-driver;
- and
- an output node coupled to the first output device and coupled to the second output device, the output node generating a pad signal in response to the first output signal generated by the first output device and in response to the second output signal generated by the second output device.
A pad driver comprising:
- multiple paths;
- each path of the multiple paths including at least one pre-driver;
- and
- each of the at least one pre-driver including a high voltage path and a low voltage path.
A method of operating a pad driver comprising the steps of:
- generating an input signal;
- generating a first pre-driver signal in response to the input signal;
- generating a second pre-driver signal in response to the input signal;
- generating a first output signal in response to the first pre-driver signal;
- generating a second output signal in response to the second pre-driver signal;
- and
- generating a pad signal in response to the first output signal and in response to the second output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.