Back to results
US 5,212,474 AGranted
Quasi-static level shifter
AssigneeU.S. Philips Corporation
InventorKurt Muhlemann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A quasi-static level shifter includes an output stage including a first transistor which is controlled directly by the input signal, and a further transistor connected in series with the first transistor to terminals of a DC supply voltage and which is controlled, via a capacitance, by the input signal combined with a recurrent, spike-shaped signal. The level shifter thus behaves as a static level shifter but has a lower current consumption and requires less surface area.
Claims14
A level shifter comprising:
- an input terminal and an output terminal,
- a charge path including a first transistor and coupled between a first supply voltage terminal and the output terminal,
- a discharge path including a second transistor and coupled between the output terminal and a second supply voltage terminal,
- means for DC coupling an input signal at the input terminal to a control electrode of the first transistor,
- means for generating a recurrent signal,
- means coupled to said input terminal and to an output of the signal generating means for logically combining the input signal applied to the input terminal with said recurrent signal, and
- a capacitor for coupling an output signal of the combining means to a control input of the second transistor thereby to regenerate a control voltage developed at said control input of the second transistor, and wherein
- said input signal and said output signal control said first and second transistors to switch in a mutually complementary manner.
5 more elements
A level shift circuit comprising:
- an input terminal for receiving an input signal,
- an output terminal for deriving an output signal,
- first and second DC supply voltage terminals,
- first and second opposite conductivity transistors connected serially between said first and second DC supply voltage terminals and with a common junction point therebetween coupled to said output terminal,
- means for generating a recurrent signal,
- a combination circuit having first and second inputs coupled to said input terminal and to an output of the signal generating means, respectively, thereby to combine said input signal and said recurrent signal,
- a capacitor for coupling an output of the combination circuit to a control input of the second transistor thereby to regenerate a control voltage developed at said control input of the second transistor, and
- means for DC coupling the input terminal to a control input of the first transistor so that said first and second transistors are switched on and off in a mutually complementary manner.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.