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US 6,275,074 B1Granted
System for propagating a digital signal through a slew-rate limited node and method of operation
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorRoy A. Hastings
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system (10) for propagating a digital signal through a slew-rate limited node (18) includes a signal generator (12) which generates slowly-slewing signal (14). A signal conditioner (16) couples to signal generator (12) at node (18) to receive slowly-slewing signal (14), and produces rapidly-slewing signal (20). Signal conditioner (16) converts signal (14) into signal (20) to reduce the propagation delay from signal generator (12) to load (24) by comparing signal (14) with a low voltage threshold, VL, and a high voltage threshold, VH. Signal conditioner (16) employs memory device (92) to determine whether signal (14) is rising or falling upon crossing either threshold VL or VH.
Claims20
A system for propagating a digital signal, comprising:
- a threshold circuit comprising:
- a comparator circuit that indicates whether an input signal has entered a voltage region;
- and
- a memory coupled to the comparator circuit, the memory having a first state if the input signal is rising upon entering the voltage region and a second state if the input signal is falling upon entering the voltage region;
- and
- an output circuit coupled to the memory, the output circuit generating a high output signal when the input signal is within the voltage region and the memory is in the first state, the output circuit generating a low output signal when the input signal is within the voltage region and the memory is in the second state.
3 more elements
A system for propagating a digital signal comprising:
- a threshold circuit comprising:
- a comparator circuit that indicates whether an input signal has entered a voltage region, said comparator circuit comprising
- a first voltage region comparator that receives the input signal and generates a first logic signal that represents whether the input signal exceeds a high voltage threshold,
- a second voltage region comparator that receives the input signal and generates a second logic signal that represents whether the input signal exceeds a low voltage threshold, and
- a voltage threshold comparator that receives the input signal and generates a voltage threshold signal that represents whether the input signal is above or below an intermediate voltage threshold;
- and
- a memory coupled to the comparator circuits, the memory having a first state if the input signal is rising upon entering the voltage region and a second state if the input signal is falling upon entering the voltage region;
- and
- an output circuit coupled to the memory, the output circuit generating a high output signal when the input signal is within the voltage region and the memory is in the first state, the output circuit further generating a low output signal when the input signal is within the voltage region and the memory is in the second state.
6 more elements
A system for propagating a digital signal comprising:
- a threshold circuit comprising:
- a comparator circuit that indicates whether an input signal has entered a voltage region, and
- memory coupled to the comparator circuits, the memory having a first state if the input signal is rising upon entering the voltage region and a second state if the input signal is falling upon entering the voltage region;
- an output circuit coupled to the memory, the output circuit generating a high output signal when the input signal is within the voltage region and the memory is in the first state, the output circuit further generating a low output signal when the input signal is within the voltage region and the memory is in the second state;
- and
- a pull-up transistor having a drain terminal coupled to the comparator circuit, wherein the pull-up transistor reduces oscillations in the output signal.
3 more elements
A method for propagating a digital signal, comprising:
- receiving an input signal;
- determining whether the input signal is within a voltage region;
- setting a memory in a first state if the input signal is rising upon entering the voltage region;
- setting the memory in a second state if the input signal is falling upon entering the voltage region;
- generating a high output signal if the input signal is within the voltage region and the memory is in the first state;
- and
- generating a low output signal if the input signal is within the voltage region and the memory is in the second state.
4 more elements
A method for propagating a digital signal, comprising:
- receiving an input signal;
- determining whether the input signal is within a voltage region by
- generating a first logic signal that represents whether the input signal exceeds a high voltage threshold,
- generating a second logic signal that represents whether the input signal exceeds a low voltage threshold, and
- generating a voltage region signal in response to the first and second logic signals by performing an exclusive-or logic function of the first logic signal and the second logic signal;
- setting a memory in a first state if the input signal is rising upon entering the voltage region;
- setting the memory in a second state if the input signal is falling upon entering the voltage region;
- generating a high output signal if the input signal is within the voltage region and the memory is in the first state;
- and
- generating a low output signal if the input signal is within the voltage region and the memory is in the second state.
7 more elements
A method for propagating a digital signal, comprising:
- receiving an input signal;
- determining whether the input signal is within a voltage region;
- setting a memory in a first state if the input signal is rising upon entering the voltage region;
- setting the memory in a second state if the input signal is falling upon entering the voltage region;
- generating a high output signal if the input signal is within the voltage region and the memory is in the first state;
- and
- generating a low output signal if the input signal is within the voltage region and the memory is in the second state, wherein:
- the steps of setting comprise:
- storing a voltage threshold signal as a selected one of the first state or the second state in the memory in response to the input signal entering the voltage region;
- and
- the steps of generating comprise:
- generating the output signal equal to the voltage threshold signal if the input signal is not within the voltage region;
- and
- generating the output signal equal to the inverse of the voltage threshold signal stored in the memory if the input signal is within the voltage region.
11 more elements
A gate driver system, comprising:
- a signal generator that generates an input signal;
- a signal conditioner coupled to the signal generator, comprising:
- a p-channel MOSFET having a gate terminal coupled to the input signal, the MOSFET generating a low first logic signal if the input signal exceeds a high voltage threshold and generating a high first logic signal if the input does not exceed the high voltage threshold;
- an n-channel MOSFET having a gate terminal coupled to the input signal, the MOSFET generating a low second logic signal if the input signal exceeds a high voltage threshold and generating a high second logic signal if the input does not exceed the low voltage threshold;
- a first logic unit coupled to the p-channel MOSFET and the n-channel MOSFET, the first logic unit generating a voltage region signal representative of an exclusive-or function of the first logic signal and the second logic signal;
- a Schmitt trigger circuit that receives the input signal, generates a high voltage threshold signal if the input signal exceeds an intermediate high voltage threshold, and generates a low voltage threshold signal if the input signal does not exceed an intermediate low voltage threshold;
- a memory coupled to the logic unit and the Schmitt trigger circuit and storing the voltage threshold signal in response to a transition of the voltage region signal from a low state to a high state;
- and
- a second logic unit coupled to the first logic unit and the memory and generating an output signal equal to the voltage threshold signal if the voltage region signal is low, and equal to the inverse of the voltage threshold signal stored in the memory if the voltage region signal is high;
- a driver coupled to the signal conditioner and generating a driving signal in response to the output signal;
- and
- a load coupled to the driver.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.