Edge rate control for 12C bus applications

An edge-rate control circuit arrangement for a serial-communication bus application, the arrangement comprising:

• first means for responding to a state transition of a received signal;
• and
• second means for responding to the state transition of the received signal, the second means comprising:
• means for activating in response to the state transition of the received signal in order to provide an edge-transition signal for the serial-communication bus, and
• means for controlling the means for activating, said control1ing including regulation of a transition rate for the edge-transition signal, the transition rate being greater than a transition rate of the received signal at the first circuit stage and greater than a minimum and less than a maximum transition rate designated for communication on the serial-communication bus, wherein the means for controlling comprises:
• means for providing a consistent response to the state transition of the received signal by shunting excess current away from the drive circuitry, the means for providing including a voltage-divider circuit and a current switch circuit that is activated in response to a voltage change present at a node in the voltage-divider circuit.

A method of edge-rate control for an I2C bus, the method comprising:

• responding, with a first circuit stage, to a state transition of a received signal;
• and
• responding, with a second circuit stage, to the state transition of the received signal;
• activating a drive circuitry in response to the state transition of the received signal to provide an edge-transition signal for the I2C bus;
• regulating the drive circuitry, with a regulation circuitry, to regulate a transition rate for the edge-transition signal, the transition rate being greater than a transition rate of the received signal at the first circuit stage and greater than a minimum and less than a maximum transition rate designated for communication on the I2C bus;
• providing, by an operation of a current-shunt circuit, a consistent response to the state transition of the received signal by shunting excess current away from the drive circuitry;
• and
• activating, inside the current-shunt circuit, a current switch circuit in response to a voltage change present at a node in a voltage-divider circuit.