Device for controlling an output circuit of an integrated circuit

A device for controlling an output Darlington type circuit of an integrated circuit comprising a first and a second transistor, said first transistor having an emitter, a collector, a base, and first and second main electrodes each connected to a predetermined respective one of said emitter and said collector of said first transistor, said second transistor having an emitter, a collector, a base and first and second main electrodes each connected to a predetermined respective one of said emitter and said collector of said second transistor,

• the first main electrode of the first transistor being connected to a power terminal and the second main electrode thereof being connected to a ground terminal, a load being connected between one of these main electrodes and the corresponding terminal, the base of said first transistor being connected to a second main electrode of the second transistor, the base of which receives a control current, wherein the first main electrode of the second transistor is connected to an auxiliary voltage (V..sub.AUX) so that (V..sub.AUX) is substantially equal to
• V+V.sub.BE1 +V.sub.CE2
• where:
• V.sub.BE1 is the base-emitter voltage of the first transistor;
• V.sub.CE2 is the collector-emitter voltage of the second transistor at saturation;
• and
• V is the ground potential if the load is connected to the power terminal and is equal to V.sub.CC -V.sub.CE1 if the load is connected to ground,
• V.sub.CE1 being the collector-emitter voltage at saturation of the first transistor and V.sub.CC being the voltage at the power terminal,
• and wherein said auxiliary voltage (V..sub.AUX) is obtained from the power terminal through a regulated DC-DC converter integrated in the integrated circuit comprising the Darlington type circuit.