Systems and methods for driving high power states using lower voltage processes
AssigneeConexant Systems, Inc.
InventorsChristian Larsen, Lorenzo Crespi, Ketan B. Patel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A battery assisted level shifter comprises a pull up transistor pulling up an output when a received input signal is high, a pull down transistor pulling down the output when the received input signal is low, and a battery element to provide voltage offsets. The battery element can be implemented using one or more pull-up transistors for assisting with pulling up the output. The level shifter can be used in class-D amplifiers, DC-DC power converters and interfaces between circuits having different reference voltages.
Claims20
A circuit comprising:
- a pull-up transistor coupled to an output and operable to receive a control signal;
- a pull-down transistor coupled to the pull-up transistor and the output and operable to receive the control signal;
- a battery element coupled between either of 1) a high supply rail having a high supply voltage or a low supply rail having a low supply voltage and 2) the pull-up transistor or the pull-down transistor, respectively, wherein the battery element maintains a voltage substantially equal to the high supply voltage minus the low supply voltage and a target swing voltage.
A method for generating a signal comprising:
- pulling up an output to a high supply rail having a high supply voltage when an input signal is high;
- pulling down the output to a positive terminal of a battery element when the input signal is low, the positive terminal having a voltage substantially equal to a battery voltage plus a low supply voltage;
- and
- maintaining the battery voltage across the battery element at a value that is substantially equal to the high supply voltage minus 1) the low supply voltage and 2) a target swing voltage.
A method for generating a signal comprising:
- pulling down an output to a low supply rail having a low supply voltage when an input signal is low;
- pulling up the output to a negative terminal of a battery element when the input signal is low, the negative terminal having a voltage substantially equal to a high supply voltage minus a battery voltage;
- and
- maintaining the battery voltage across the battery element substantially equal to the high supply voltage minus the low supply voltage and a target swing voltage.
A circuit comprising:
- a pull-up transistor coupled to an output and operable to receive a control signal;
- a pull-down transistor coupled to the pull-up transistor and the output and operable to receive the control signal;
- and
- means for maintaining a voltage substantially equal to the high supply voltage minus the low supply voltage and a target swing voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.