Off chip driver

A driver, comprising:

• a pull up transistor for switching the output of said driver to a high voltage;
• a pull down transistor for switching the output of said driver to a low voltage;
• a first current mirror transistor coupled to said pull up transistor for controlling the current transmitted to a load connected to said driver when said output is at the high voltage;
• a second current mirror transistor coupled to said pull down transistor for controlling the current transmitted to said load when said output is at the low voltage;
• a plurality of first additional transistors, each of said first additional transistors being coupled to said first current mirror transistor for increasing the current transmitted by said first current mirror transistor when the output of said driver is at the high voltage;
• and
• a plurality of second additional transistors, each of said second additional transistors being coupled to said second current mirror transistor for increasing the current transmitted by said second current mirror transistor when the output of said driver is at the low voltage.

A driver, comprising:

• a pull up transistor for switching the output of said driver to a high voltage;
• a pull down transistor for switching the output of said driver to a low voltage;
• a first current mirror transistor coupled to said pull up transistor for controlling the current transmitted to a load connected to said driver when said output is at the high voltage;
• a second current mirror transistor coupled to said pull down transistor for controlling the current transmitted to said load when said output is at the low voltage;
• a first capacitor coupled to said first current mirror transistor, said first capacitor being charged by said first current mirror transistor when the output of said driver is at the low voltage and being discharged into said load when said output is at the high voltage;
• and
• a second capacitor coupled to said second current mirror transistor, said second capacitor being charged by said second current mirror transistor when the output of said driver is at the high voltage and being discharged into said load when said output is at the low voltage.

A driver, comprising:

• a pull up transistor for switching the output of said driver to a high voltage;
• a pull down transistor for switching the output of said driver to a low voltage;
• a first current mirror transistor coupled to said pull up transistor for controlling the current transmitted to a load connected to said driver when said output is at the high voltage;
• a second current mirror transistor coupled to said pull down transistor for controlling the current transmitted to said load when said output is at the low voltage;
• a first pre-driver, said first pre-driver comprising one or more switching transistors for switching the output of said first pre-driver between a high voltage and a low voltage and one or more additional transistors for controlling the current transmitted to the output of said first pre-driver, said output of said first pre-driver providing a gate signal for said pull up transistor having a controlled slew rate;
• and
• a second pre-driver, said second pre-driver comprising one or more switching transistors for switching the output of said second pre-driver between a high voltage and a low voltage and one or more additional transistors for controlling the current transmitted by the output of said second pre-driver, said output of said second pre-driver providing a gate signal for said pull down transistor having a controlled slew rate.

A driver, comprising:

• a pull up transistor for switching the output of said driver to a high voltage;
• a pull down transistor for switching the output of said driver to a low voltage;
• a first current mirror transistor coupled to said pull up transistor for controlling the current transmitted to a load connected to said driver when said output is at the high voltage;
• a second current mirror transistor coupled to said pull down transistor for controlling the current transmitted to said load when said output is at the low voltage;
• and
• a third current mirror transistor having a gate connected to the gate of said first current mirror transistor, a source connected to the source of said first current mirror transistor and a drain connected to the gates of said first and third mirror transistors, said third current mirror transistor controlling the current transmitted by said first current mirror transistor.

A method of controlling a driver, comprising:

• switching the output of said driver to a high voltage using a pull up transistor;
• switching the output of said driver to a low voltage using a pull down transistor;
• controlling the current transmitted to a load connected to said driver when said output is at the high voltage using a first current mirror transistor coupled to said pull up transistor;
• controlling the current transmitted to said load when said output is at the low voltage using a second current mirror transistor coupled to said pull down transistor;
• controlling the current transmitted by said first current mirror transistor by activating a selected one of a plurality of third current mirror transistors coupled to said first current mirror transistor and activating and deactivating each of said third current mirror transistors using a switching transistor coupled to said third current mirror transistor;
• and
• controlling the current transmitted by said second current mirror transistor by activating a selected one of a plurality of fourth current mirror transistors coupled to said second current mirror transistor and activating and deactivating each of said fourth current mirror transistors using a switching transistor coupled to said fourth current mirror transistor.

A method of controlling a driver, comprising:

• switching the output of said driver to a high voltage using a pull up transistor;
• switching the output of said driver to a low voltage using a pull down transistor;
• controlling tho current transmitted to a load connected to said driver when said output is at the high voltage using a first current mirror transistor coupled to said pull up transistor;
• controlling the current transmitted to said load when said output is at the low voltage using a second current mirror transistor coupled to said pull down transistor;
• increasing the current transmitted by said first current mirror transistor when the output of said driver is at the high voltage using a plurality of first additional transistors coupled to said first current mirror transistor;
• and
• increasing the current transmitted by said second current mirror transistor when the output of said driver is at the low voltage using a plurality of second additional transistors coupled to said second current mirror transistor.

A method of controlling a driver, comprising:

• switching the output of said driver to a high voltage using a pull up transistor;
• switching the output of said driver to a low voltage using a pull down transistor;
• controlling the current transmitted to a load connected to said driver when said output is at the high voltage using a first current mirror transistor coupled to said pull up transistor;
• controlling the current transmitted to said load when said output is at the low voltage using a second current mirror transistor coupled to said pull down transistor;
• charging a first capacitor coupled to said first current mirror transistor using said first current mirror transistor when the output of said driver is at the low voltage and discharging said first capacitor into said load when said output is at the high voltage;
• and
• charging a second capacitor coupled to said second current mirror transistor using said second current mirror transistor when the output of said driver is at the high voltage and discharging said second capacitor into said load when said output is at the low voltage.

A method of controlling a driver, comprising:

• switching the output of said driver to a high voltage using a pull up transistor;
• switching the output of said driver to a low voltage using a pull down transistor;
• controlling the current transmitted to a load connected to said driver when said output is at the high voltage using a first current mirror transistor coupled to said pull up transistor;
• controlling the current transmitted to said load when said output is at the low voltage using a second current mirror transistor coupled to said pull down transistor;
• providing a gate signal for said pull up transistor having a controlled slew rate using a first pre-driver having one or more switching transistors for switching the output of said first pre-driver between a high voltage and a low voltage and one or more additional transistors for controlling the current transmitted to the output of said first pre-driver;
• and
• providing a gate signal for said pull down transistor having a controlled slew rate using a second pre-driver having one or more switching transistors for switching the output of said second pre-driver between a high voltage and a low voltage and one or more additional transistors for controlling the current transmitted by the output of said second pre-driver.

A method of controlling a driver, comprising:

• switching the output of said driver to a high voltage using a pull up transistor;
• switching the output of said driver to a low voltage using a pull down transistor;
• controlling the current transmitted to a load connected to said driver when said output is at the high voltage using a first current mirror transistor coupled to said pull up transistor;
• controlling the current transmitted to said load when said output is at the low voltage using a second current mirror transistor coupled to said pull down transistor;
• and
• controlling the current transmitted by said first current mirror transistor using a third current mirror transistor having a gate connected to the gate of said first current mirror transistor, a source connected to the source of said first current mirror transistor and a drain connected to the gates of said first and third mirror transistors.

A driver, comprising:

• a pull up transistor for switching the output of said driver to a high voltage;
• a pull down transistor for switching the output of said driver to a low voltage;
• a first pre-driver, said first pre-driver comprising one or more switching transistors for switching the output of said first pre-driver between a high voltage and a low voltage and one or more additional transistors for controlling the current transmitted to the output of said first pre-driver, said output of said first pre-driver providing a gate signal for said pull up transistor having a controlled slew rate;
• and
• a second pre-driver, said second pre-driver comprising one or more switching transistors for switching the output of said second pre-driver between a high voltage and a low voltage and one or more additional transistors for controlling the current transmitted by the output of said second pre-driver, said output of said second pre-driver providing a gate signal for said pull down transistor having a controlled slew rate.

A method of controlling a driver, comprising:

• switching the output of said driver to a high voltage using a pull up transistor;
• switching the output of said driver to a low voltage using a pull down transistor;
• providing a gate signal for said pull up transistor having a controlled slew rate using a first pre-driver having one or more switching transistors for switching the output of said first pre-driver between a high voltage and a low voltage and one or more additional transistors for controlling the current transmitted to the output of said first pre-driver;
• and
• providing a gate signal for said pull down transistor having a controlled slew rate using a second pre-driver having one or more switching transistors for switching the output of said second pre-driver between a high voltage and a low voltage and one or more additional transistors for controlling the current transmitted by the output of said second pre-driver.