Output buffer with regulated voltage biasing for driving voltages greater than transistor tolerance

An output driver circuit comprising:

• first and second supply terminals;
• first and second complementary data terminals;
• an output terminal;
• a pull-up transistor and a pull-down transistor which are coupled to the output terminal and have first and second control terminals, respectively, with the second control terminal coupled to the second data terminal;
• a differential transistor pair coupled to a voltage-controlled node and defining first and second current paths, the differential transistor pair having control terminals coupled to the first and second data terminals, respectively;
• a cross coupled transistor pair coupled in the first and second current paths, between the first supply terminal and the differential transistor pair, and having a control output terminal coupled to the control terminal of the pull-up transistor;
• and
• a voltage regulator coupled to the voltage-controlled node.