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US 2026/0292950 A1Published application
Device, system and methods for a constant current mode in an input-output pad
AssigneeMicrochip Technology Incorporated
InventorsJohn Charais, Alexandru Vidrasan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device may include an I/O pad, and the I/O pad may be coupled to an output driver, a current source and a current sink. In operation, the output driver may be disabled by an output driver enable signal and the current source may be enabled by a current source enable signal and may source a constant current to the I/O pad. In operation, the output driver may be disabled by the output driver enable signal and the current sink may be enabled by a current sink enable signal and may sink a constant current from the I/O pad.
Claims20
A device comprising:
- an output driver coupled to an Input-Output (I/O) pad, wherein the output driver is to be enabled by an output driver enable signal to drive a voltage onto the I/O pad;
- a current source coupled to the I/O pad, wherein the current source is to be enabled by a current source enable signal to supply a current to the I/O pad;
- and
- a current sink coupled to the I/O pad, wherein the current sink is to be enabled by a current sink enable signal to sink a current from the I/O pad.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- a microcontroller comprising an I/O circuit, the I/O circuit comprising:
- an output driver coupled to an I/O pad;
- a current source coupled to the I/O pad, the current source to be enabled based on a current source enable signal;
- a current sink coupled to the I/O pad, the current sink to be enabled based on a current sink enable signal;
- and
- a load coupled to the I/O pad,
- wherein the microcontroller is to configure the I/O pad and to enable the current source and the current sink based on a predetermined condition.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- disabling an output driver, an input driver and a Schmitt trigger, wherein the output driver, the input driver and the Schmitt trigger part of an I/O pad;
- and
- enabling one of a current source and a current sink, wherein the current source and current sink are part of the I/O pad,
- wherein enabling the current source is to source current at an external circuit, and
- wherein enabling the current sink is to sink current at the external circuit.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.