Fast-acting feedforward kicker circuit for use with two serially connected inverters
AssigneeTeletype Corporation
InventorMichael J. McClaughry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A field-effect transistor serial inverter circuit is disclosed. Capacitive coupling is provided between the control electrode of a first inverter and the control electrode of a load transistor in a serially connected second inverter. The capacitor thereby couples the input to the load transistor of the second inverter, significantly reducing the transition delay time associated with the two series inverters, and also increasing the voltage level available at the output of the second inverter to substantially the same level as the supply voltage.
Claims20
A serial inverter circuit comprising:
- a first and second inverter means, each having an input and an output, for producing at their outputs a logically inverted version of the signal applied to their respective inputs;
- means for connecting the output of the first inverter means to the input of the second inverter means, whereby after a finite transition delay determined by the circuit values, the signal produced at the output of the second inverter means is logically identical to the signal applied to the input of the first inverter means;
- and
- feedforward means for coupling the signal applied to the input of the first inverter means to the second inverter means to speed up all transitions of the signal at the output of the second inverter means made in response to a change of logical state of the signal applied to the input of the first inverter means.
A serial inverter circuit of the type having:
- a first and second inverter means, each having an input and an output, for producing at their outputs logically inverted versions of the signal applied to their respective inputs;
- means for connecting the output of the first inverter means to the input of the second inverter means, whereby after a finite transition time determined by the circuit values, the signal produced at the output of the second inverter means is logically identical to the signal applied to the input of the first inverter means;
- characterized in that, the circuit further includes feedforward means for coupling the signal applied to the input of the first inverter means to the second inverter means such that the signal at the output of the second inverter means responds to all changes in logical state of the signal applied to the input of the first inverter means in a time less than said finite transition delay.
A serial inverter circuit having:
- an input;
- an output;
- a voltage source node;
- a circuit reference node;
- a first inverter formed by a first load field-effect transistor and a first input field-effect transistor, the first load transistor having its gate connected to the voltage source node and its drain-source path connected between the voltage source node and a common node, and the first input transistor having its drain-source path connected between the common node and the circuit reference node and its gate connected to the input;
- a second inverter formed by a second load field-effect transistor and a second input field-effect transistor, the second load transistor having its drain-source path connected between the voltage source node and the output, the second input transistor having its drain-source path connected between the output and the circuit reference node and its gate connected to the common node;
- an isolating field-effect transistor having its drain-source path connected between the voltage source node and the gate of the second load transistor, and having its gate connected to the voltage source node;
- and
- a capacitor connected between the input and the gate of the second load transistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.