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US 5,917,758 AGranted
Adjustable output driver circuit
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorBrent Keeth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjustable integrated circuit output driver circuit is described which has a push-pull output circuit comprised of a pullup and pulldown transistor. A series of parallel transistors are connected to both the pullup and pulldown transistors. The gates of the parallel transistors are selectively controlled to adjust the driver current connected to a data bus line. Adjustable slew rate control circuits are described which are coupled to the pullup and pulldown transistors. Slew rate control circuitry and output control circuitry is provided to selectively adjust the driver circuit either during manufacture or after installation on a data bus. An alternate open-drain adjustable output driver circuit is also described.
Claims18
An integrated circuit output driver circuit comprising:
- a push-pull output circuit comprising a pullup output transistor having a drain connected to a data communication line, and a pulldown output transistor having a drain connected to the data communication line;
- a first adjustable circuit connected to a source of the pullup output transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pullup output transistor and a first reference voltage;
- a second adjustable circuit connected to a source of the pulldown output transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pulldown output transistor and a second reference voltage;
- a pullup slew rate circuit connected to a gate of the pullup output transistor;
- and
- a pulldown slew rate circuit connected to a gate of the pulldown output transistor;
- wherein the pullup slew rate circuit comprises:
- a push-pull circuit having a pullup transistor having a drain connected to the gate of the pullup output transistor, and a pulldown transistor having a drain connected to the gate of the pullup output transistor;
- a first adjustable slew rate circuit connected to a source of the pullup transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pullup transistor and the first reference voltage;
- and
- a second adjustable slew rate circuit connected to a source of the pulldown transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pulldown transistor and the second reference voltage.
8 more elements
An integrated circuit output driver circuit comprising:
- a push-pull output circuit comprising a pullup output transistor having a drain connected to a data communication line, and a pulldown output transistor having a drain connected to the data communication line;
- a first adjustable circuit connected to a source of the pullup output transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pullup output transistor and a first reference voltage;
- a second adjustable circuit connected to a source of the pulldown output transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pulldown output transistor and a second reference voltage;
- a pullup slew rate circuit connected to a gate of the pullup output transistor;
- and
- a pulldown slew rate circuit connected to a gate of the pulldown output transistor;
- the pulldown slew rate circuit comprises:
- a push-pull circuit having a pullup transistor having a drain connected to the gate of the pulldown output transistor, and a pulldown transistor having a drain connected to the gate of the pulldown output transistor;
- a first adjustable slew rate circuit connected to a source of the pullup transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pullup transistor and the first reference voltage;
- and
- a second adjustable slew rate circuit connected to a source of the pulldown transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pulldown transistor and the second reference voltage.
8 more elements
An integrated circuit output driver circuit comprising:
- a push-pull output circuit comprising a pullup output transistor having a drain connected to a data communication line, and a pulldown output transistor having a drain connected to the data communication line;
- a first adjustable circuit connected to a source of the pullup output transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pullup output transistor and a first reference voltage;
- a second adjustable circuit connected to a source of the pulldown output transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pulldown output transistor and a second reference voltage;
- a pullup slew rate circuit connected to a gate of the pullup output transistor;
- a pulldown slew rate circuit connected to a gate of the pulldown output transistor, the pulldown slew rate circuit comprises:
- a push-pull circuit having a pullup transistor having a drain connected to the gate of the pulldown output transistor, and a pulldown transistor having a drain connected to the gate of the pulldown output transistor;
- a first adjustable slew rate circuit connected to a source of the pullup transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pullup transistor and the first reference voltage;
- a second adjustable slew rate circuit connected to a source of the pulldown transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pulldown transistor and the second reference voltage;
- and
- a slew rate generator circuit selectively controlling the first adjustable slew rate circuit and the second adjustable slew rate circuit.
7 more elements
A synchronous memory device comprising:
- an array of memory cells storing data received on a data communication line;
- an output driver circuit outputting data read from the array of memory cells, the output driver circuit comprising:
- a push-pull output circuit comprising a pullup output transistor having a drain connected to the data communication line, and a pulldown output transistor having a drain connected to the data communication line,
- a first adjustable circuit connected to a source of the pullup output transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pullup output transistor and a first reference voltage, the first adjustable circuit comprises a first plurality of transistors connected in parallel and each having a drain connected to the source of the pullup output transistor and a source connected to the first reference voltage,
- a second adjustable circuit connected to a source of the pulldown output transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pulldown output transistor and a second reference voltage, the second adjustable circuit comprises a second plurality of transistors connected in parallel and each having a drain connected to the source of the pulldown output transistor and a source connected to the second reference voltage;
- a first slew rate circuit connected to the pullup output transistor for controlling a gate signal of the pullup output transistor;
- a second slew rate circuit connected to the pulldown output transistor for controlling a gate signal of the pulldown output transistor;
- and
- a slew rate generator circuit connected to the first and second slew rate circuits, the slew rate generator circuit including a fuse circuit for programming a pullup and pulldown resistance of the first and second slew rate circuits.
6 more elements
An integrated circuit output driver circuit comprising:
- an output transistor having a drain connected to a data communication line;
- an adjustable circuit connected to a source of the output transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the output transistor and a first reference voltage;
- and
- a slew rate circuit which comprises:
- a push-pull circuit having a pullup transistor having a drain connected to the gate of the output transistor, and a pulldown transistor having a drain connected to the gate of the output transistor;
- a first adjustable slew rate circuit connected to a source of the pullup transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pullup transistor and a second reference voltage;
- and
- a second adjustable slew rate circuit connected to a source of the pulldown transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pulldown transistor and the first reference voltage.
5 more elements
A method of adjusting an output signal on a data bus line using an integrated circuit driver, the driver comprising a push-pull output circuit, a first adjustable circuit for providing a resistance between the push-pull output circuit and a first reference voltage, and a second adjustable circuit for providing a resistance between the push-pull output circuit and a second reference voltage, the method comprising the steps of:
- connecting the integrated circuit driver to the data bus line;
- generating a first output signal on the data bus line using the driver circuit;
- comparing the first output signal on the data bus line with a known voltage level and producing a control signal;
- selectively activating the first and second adjustable circuits in response to the control signal;
- and
- selectively activating a slew rate control circuit to reduce signal ringing on the data bus line, wherein the slew rate control circuit comprises a push-pull circuit, a first adjustable slew rate circuit, and a second adjustable slew rate circuit.
3 more elements
An integrated circuit output driver circuit comprising:
- a push-pull output circuit comprising a pullup output transistor having a drain connected to a data communication line, and a pulldown output transistor having a drain connected to the data communication line;
- a first adjustable circuit connected to a source of the pullup output transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pullup output transistor and a first reference voltage;
- a second adjustable circuit connected to a source of the pulldown output transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pulldown output transistor and a second reference voltage;
- a pulldown slew rate circuit connected to a gate of the pulldown output transistor;
- a pullup slew rate circuit connected to a gate of the pullup output transistor,
- wherein the pullup slew rate circuit comprises:
- a push-pull circuit having a pullup transistor having a drain connected to the gate of the pullup output transistor, and a pulldown transistor having a drain connected to the gate of the pullup output transistor,
- a first adjustable slew rate circuit connected to a source of the pullup transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pullup transistor and the first reference voltage,
- a second adjustable slew rate circuit connected to a source of the pulldown transistor for adjusting a resistance between the source of the pulldown transistor and the second reference voltage;
- and
- a slew rate generator circuit selectively controlling the first adjustable slew rate circuit and the second adjustable slew rate circuit.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.