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US 6,788,506 B1Granted
Integrated circuit and method of operation
AssigneeStandard Microsystems Corporation
InventorTroy L. Stockstad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit includes circuit nodes (111 and 131), a resistor (210) coupling together the nodes, a comparator (230) having two inputs and an output where a first one of the two inputs is coupled to the resistor and a first one of the nodes, and a three-terminal device (220) having a first terminal coupled to a second one of the nodes and the resistor and also having a second terminal coupled to the output of the comparator.
Claims30
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a first node;
- a second node;
- a resistor coupling together the first and second nodes;
- a comparator having two inputs and an output, a first one of the two inputs coupled to the resistor and the first node;
- and
- a three-terminal device having a first terminal coupled to the second node and the resistor and having a second terminal coupled to the output of the comparator.
3 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a first circuit;
- a first node;
- and
- a second circuit coupling the first circuit to the first node;
- wherein:
- the first circuit operates off of a supply voltage;
- and
- the second circuit detects a voltage magnitude of a signal at the first node and reduces the voltage magnitude of the signal to equal a voltage magnitude of the supply voltage before transmitting the signal to the first circuit.
5 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a first node;
- a second node;
- a first resistor coupling together the first and second nodes;
- a first three-terminal device being of a first type, a first terminal of the first three-terminal device coupled to the first resistor and the first node;
- a second three-terminal device being of the first type, a first terminal of the second three-terminal device coupled to a first substantially constant voltage, a second terminal of the second three-terminal device coupled to a second terminal of the first three-terminal device and to a third terminal of the second three-terminal device;
- a third three-terminal device being of a second type, a first terminal of the third three-terminal device coupled to a second substantially constant voltage, a third terminal of the third three-terminal device coupled to a third terminal of the first three-terminal device;
- a fourth three-terminal device being of the second type, a first terminal of the fourth three-terminal device coupled to the second substantially constant voltage, a second terminal of the fourth three-terminal device coupled to a second terminal of the third three-terminal device and to a third terminal of the fourth three-terminal device;
- a fifth three-terminal device being of the second type, a first terminal of the fifth three-terminal device coupled to the second substantially constant voltage, a second terminal of the fifth three-terminal device coupled to the third terminals of the first and third three-terminal devices, a third terminal of the fifth three-terminal device coupled to the first resistor and to the second node;
- a sixth three-terminal device being of the first type, a first terminal of the sixth three-terminal device coupled to the third terminals of the first and third three-terminal devices and to the second terminal of the fifth three-terminal device, a second terminal of the sixth three-terminal device coupled to the first substantially constant voltage, a third terminal of the sixth three-terminal device coupled to the second terminals of the third and fourth three-terminal devices and to the third terminal of the fourth three-terminal device;
- and
- a second resistor coupling together the second terminals of the first and second three-terminal devices and the third terminal of the second three-terminal device to the second terminals of the third and fourth three-terminal devices and to the third terminals of the fourth and sixth three-terminal devices.
8 more elements
A method of operating an integrated circuit comprising:
- detecting a signal at a first node, the signal having a first voltage magnitude;
- comparing the first voltage magnitude to a reference voltage magnitude;
- if the first voltage magnitude is less than the reference voltage magnitude,
- transferring the signal with the first voltage magnitude to a second node;
- and
- if the first voltage magnitude is greater than the reference voltage magnitude,
- reducing the first voltage magnitude to a second voltage magnitude less than or equal to the reference voltage magnitude;
- and
- transferring the signal with the second voltage magnitude to the second node.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.