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EP0533340A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Output driver circuits

Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices Inc
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Filing: 1992-08-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-08-10
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Abstract

Abstract An output buffer driver circuit which significantly reduces the effects of voltage fluctuations in the upper and lower power supply potentials on an output signal includes a first pull-up circuit (44), a second pull-up circuit (46), a first pull-down circuit (48), a second pull-down circuit (50), a delay circuit (52), and control circuit (54). The first pull-up circuit (44) is coupled between a noisy upper power supply potential (VDDN) and output terminal (43). The second pull-up circuit (46) is coupled between a quiet upper power supply potential (VDDQ) and the output terminal. The first pull-down circuit (48) is coupled between noisy lower power supply potential (VSSN) and the output terminal. The second pull-down circuit (50) is coupled between a quiet lower power supply potential (VSSQ) and the output terminal. The second pull-up circuit (46) is delayed in its turn-on until the first pull-up circuit (44) is being turned-off when the output terminal is making the low-to-high transition so as to isolate the noisy upper power supply potential from the output terminal. Similarly, the second pull-down circuit (50) is delayed in its turn-on until the first pull-down circuit (48) is being turned-off when the output terminal is making the high-to-low transition so as to isolate the noisy lower power supply potential from the output terminal.

Inventors

  • 👤 Thomas Jefferson Runaldue

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 07:09
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03K; H03K3/00; H03K19/00; H03K19/003; H03K19/00346; H03K19/00361

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim 294 words
An output buffer driver circuit which significantly reduces the effects of voltage fluctuations in the upper and lower power supply potentials on an output signal, comprising: first pull-up circuit means (44) responsive to a first control signal for generating quickly a low-to-high transition of the output signal at an output terminal (43); said first pull-up circuit means being coupled to a noisy upper power supply potential (VDDN) and the output terminal (43); second pull-up circuit means (46) responsive to a second control signal for maintaining the output signal at a high logic level after the low-to-high transition has been completed; said second pull-up circuit means being coupled to a quiet upper power supply potential (VDDQ) and the output terminal; first pull-down circuit means (48) responsive to a third control signal for generating quickly a high-to-low transition of the output signal at the output terminal (43); said first pull-down circuit means being coupled between a noisy lower power supply potential (VSSQ) and the output terminal (43); second pull-down circuit means (50) responsive to a fourth control signal for maintaining the output signal at a low logic level after the high-to-low transition has been completed; said second pull-down circuit means being coupled to a quiet lower power supply potential (VSSQ) and the output terminal; delay circuit means (52) responsive to the logic level of the output signal for generating a first delayed logic signal and a second delayed logic signal; and control circuit means (54) responsive to a data input logic signal, said first delayed logic signal, and said second delayed logic signal for generating said first through fourth control signals, whereby the output signal at the output terminal is isolated from the noisy upper and lower power supply potentials during the low-to-high and high-to-low transitions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 67 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said first pull-up circuit means (44) comprises a first pull-up transistor and a second pull-up transistor connected in parallel with said first pull-up transistor, said first and second pull-up transistors having their conduction path electrodes connected between the noisy upper power supply potential and the output terminal and their gates coupled to said first control signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 21 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said first pull-up transistor is a P-channel MOS transistor (P1).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said second pull-up transistor is an N-channel MOS transistor (N1).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 48 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said second pull-up circuit means (46) comprises a third pull-up transistor having its conduction path electrodes connected between the quiet upper power supply potential and the output terminal and its gate connected to said second control signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 21 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said third pull-up transistor is a P-channel MOS transistor (P2).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 48 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said first pull-down circuit means (48) comprises a first pull-down transistor having its conduction path electrodes connected between the noisy lower power supply potential and the output terminal and its gate connected to said third control signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 21 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said first pull-down transistor is an N-channel MOS transistor (N2).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 48 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said second pull-down circuit means (50) comprises a second pull-down transistor having its conduction path electrodes connected between the quiet lower power supply potential and the output terminal and its gate connected to said fourth control signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 21 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 9, wherein said second pull-down transistor is an N-channel MOS transistor (N3).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 56 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said third pull-up transistor (P2) is delayed in its turn-on until said first and second pull-up transistors (P1, N1) are being turned-off when the output terminal is making the low-to-high transition so as to isolate the noisy upper power supply potential from the output terminal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 53 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 10, wherein said second pull-down transistor (N3) is delayed in its turn-on until said first pull-down transistor (N2) is being turned-off when the output terminal is making the high-to-low transition so as to isolate the noisy lower power supply potential from the output terminal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 213 words
An output buffer driver circuit which significantly reduces the effects of voltage fluctuations in the upper and lower power supply potentials on an output signal, comprising: first pull-up circuit means (44) responsive to a first control signal for generating quickly a low-to-high transition of the output signal at an output terminal (43); said first pull-up circuit means being coupled to a noisy upper power supply potential (VDDN) and the output terminal (43); second pull-up circuit means (46) responsive to a second control signal for maintaining the output signal at a high logic level after the low-to-high transition has been completed; said second pull-up circuit means being coupled to a quiet upper power supply potential (VDDQ) and the output terminal; first pull-down circuit means (48) responsive to a third control signal for generating quickly a high-to-low transition of the output signal at the output terminal (43); said first pull-down circuit means being coupled between a noisy lower power supply potential (VSSQ) and the output terminal (43); second pull-down circuit means (50) responsive to a fourth control signal for maintaining the output signal at a low logic level after the high-to-low transition has been completed; and said second pull-down circuit means being coupled to a quiet lower power supply potential (VSSQ) and the output terminal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 67 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 13, wherein said first pull-up circuit means (44) comprises a first pull-up transistor and a second pull-up transistor connected in parallel with said first pull-up transistor, said first and second pull-up transistors having their conduction path electrodes connected between the noisy upper power supply potential and the output terminal and their gates coupled to said first control signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 48 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 14, wherein said second pull-up circuit means (46) comprises a third pull-up transistor having its conduction path electrodes connected between the quiet upper power supply potential and the output terminal and its gate connected to said second control signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 48 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 15, wherein said first pull-down circuit means (48) comprises a first pull-down transistor having its conduction path electrodes connected between the noisy lower power supply potential and the output terminal and its gate connected to said third control signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 48 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 16, wherein said second pull-down circuit means (50) comprises a second pull-down transistor having its conduction path electrodes connected between the quiet lower power supply potential and the output terminal and its gate connected to said fourth control signal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 55 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 11, wherein said second pull-up circuit means (46) is delayed in its turn-on until said first pull-up circuit means (44) is being turned-off when the output terminal is making the low-to-high transition so as to isolate the noisy upper power supply potential from the output terminal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 55 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 18, wherein said second pull-down circuit means (50) is delayed in its turn-on until said first pull-down circuit means (48) is being turned-off when the output terminal is making the high-to-low transition so as to isolate the noisy lower power supply potential from the output terminal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 67 words
An output buffer driver circuit as claimed in Claim 19, further comprising delay circuit means (52) responsive to the logic level of the output signal for generating a first delayed logic signal and a second delayed logic signal, and control circuit means (54) responsive to a data input logic signal, first delayed logic signal, and said delayed logic signal for generating said first through fourth control signals.

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