High performance low power multiple-level-switching output drivers
AssigneeUniram Technology Inc.
InventorJeng-Jye Shau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Long existing performance, noise, and power consumption problems of prior art output drivers are solved by using n-channel transistors as pull up transistors and p-channel transistors as pull down transistors for high performance output drivers. Output drivers of the present invention can be fully compatible with HSTL or SSTL interfaces without using termination resistors. High resolution switching applications are also made possible without consuming much power. Output drivers of the present invention provide excellent solutions to support high performance interface while consuming much lower power.
Claims28
A high performance integrated circuit (IC) output driver comprising:
- a first voltage supply source (Vddq);
- a second voltage supply source (Vssq) having a lower potential than said first voltage supply source;
- last stage output circuit(s) directly driving IC external output signal(s), said IC external output signal(s) is/are partial-voltage signals switching between voltage levels that are lower than Vddq and higher than Vssq, wherein said last stage output circuit(s) comprise(s):
- n-channel pull up transistor(s), wherein said n-channel pull up transistor(s) provide(s) majority of the driving force to drive said IC external signal(s) to higher voltage level(s);
- and
- p-channel pull down transistor(s), wherein said p-channel pull down transistor(s) provide(s) majority of the driving force to drive said IC external signal(s) to lower voltage level(s).
A method for designing high performance IC output driver comprising the steps of:
- providing a first voltage supply source (Vddq);
- providing a second voltage supply source (Vssq) having a lower potential than said first voltage supply source Vddq;
- providing last stage output circuit(s) directly driving IC external output signal(s), wherein said IC external output signal(s) is/are partial-voltage signals switching between voltage levels that are lower than Vddq and higher than Vssq;
- configuring one or more n-channel transistor(s) in said last stage output circuit(s) as pull up transistor(s) that provide(s) majority of the driving force to drive said IC external signal(s) to higher voltage level(s);
- and
- configuring one or more p-channel transistor(s) in said last stage output circuit(s) as pull down transistor(s) that provide(s) majority of the driving force to drive said IC external signal(s) to higher voltage level(s).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.