Voltage Control
AssigneeIcera Inc.
InventorTrevor Kenneth Monk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A circuit for converting a lower voltage logical signal to a higher voltage. The circuit comprises a current mirror structure having first and second branches, each comprising at least a first transistor of a first kind, an input transistor of a second kind, and a second transistor of the first kind coupled between them. The first transistors are arranged as a current mirror. The input transistors are driven using a logical signal at the lower voltage, controlling the current mirror structure to output a corresponding logical signal at the higher voltage. The second transistors are driven by an intermediate reference voltage so as to reduce the operating voltage of the third transistors. The first kind is tolerant of a higher operating voltage than the second kind.
Claims20
A circuit for converting a lower voltage logical signal to a higher voltage logical signal, the circuit comprising:
- at least one current mirror structure comprising a first branch and a second branch, each branch comprising at least a first transistor of a first kind, an input transistor of a second kind, and a second transistor of the first kind coupled between the respective first transistor and input transistor;
- wherein the first transistor of the first branch and the first transistor of the second branch are arranged as a current mirror so as to mirror the current in the first branch in the second branch;
- the input transistor of each branch is arranged to be driven using a logical signal at the lower voltage, so as to control the current mirror structure to output a corresponding logical signal at the higher voltage;
- the second transistor of each branch is arranged to be driven by an intermediate reference voltage so as to reduce the operating voltage of the input transistor;
- and
- the first kind is tolerant of a higher operating voltage than the second kind.
A method of converting a lower voltage logical signal to a higher voltage logical signal in a circuit having at least one current mirror structure comprising a first branch and a second branch, each branch comprising at least a first transistor of a first kind, an input transistor of a second kind and a second transistor of the first kind coupled between the respective first transistor and input transistor, the first kind being tolerant of a higher operating voltage than the second kind, the method comprising:
- using the first transistor of the first branch and the first transistor of the second branch as a current mirror so as to mirror the current in the first branch in the second branch;
- driving the input transistor of each branch using a logical signal at the lower voltage, so as to control the current mirror structure to output a corresponding logical signal at the higher voltage;
- and
- driving the second transistor of each branch with an intermediate reference voltage so as to reduce the operating voltage of the input transistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.