Level shifter
AssigneeRenesas Design (UK) Limited
InventorMartin Färber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A level shifter for shifting a voltage signal from a first voltage domain to a second voltage domain including an input circuit configured to receive the voltage signal in the first voltage domain, an output circuit configured to output the voltage signal in the second voltage domain, and a protection circuit configured to prevent reverse current flow between the input circuit and the output circuit.
Claims22
A level shifter for shifting a voltage signal from a first voltage domain to a second voltage domain comprising:
- an input circuit configured to receive the voltage signal in the first voltage domain;
- an output circuit configured to output the voltage signal in the second voltage domain;
- and
- a protection circuit configured to prevent reverse current flow between the input circuit and the output circuit.
A power converter system comprising:
- a level shifter for shifting a voltage signal from a first voltage domain to a second voltage domain comprising:
- i) an input circuit configured to receive the voltage signal in the first voltage domain;
- ii) an output circuit configured to output the voltage signal in the second voltage domain;
- and
- iii) a protection circuit configured to prevent reverse current flow between the input circuit and the output circuit;
- and
- a power switch configured to operate in the second voltage domain;
- wherein:
- the level shifter is configured to convert the voltage signal from the first voltage domain to the second voltage domain prior to the voltage signal being provided to the power switch.
A method of shifting a voltage signal from a first voltage domain to a second voltage domain using a level shifter, the method comprising:
- receiving the voltage signal in the first voltage domain using an input circuit;
- outputting the voltage signal in the second voltage domain using an output circuit;
- and
- preventing reverse current flow between the input circuit and the output circuit using a protection circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.