Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) input circuit with hysteresis

Claim 1

A metal oxide semiconductor input circuit suitable for receiving relatively low voltage TTL input signals having a narrow voltage swing and for providing MOS level output signals that are clearly distinguishable from one another, said input circuit including: a first inverter stage having respective input and output terminals, the input terminal of said first inverter stage connected to an input terminal of said input circuit, a second inverter stage having respective input and output terminals, a third inverter stage having respective input and output terminals, the output terminal of said third inverter stage comprising the output terminal of said input circuit, each of said first, second and third inverter stages comprising the series connection of an enhancement and a depletion-type field effect transistor, the output terminal of said first inverter stage connected to each of the input terminal of said second inverter stage and to the gate electrode of one of the enhancement or depletion-type field effect transistors that forms said third inverter stage; the output terminal of said second inverter stage connected to the gate electrode of the other of said enhancement or depletion-type field effect transistors that forms said third inverter stage, whereby said third inverter stage transistors have a push-pull drive configuration relative to the output terminals of said first and second inverter stages; first and second series connected enhancement-type field effect transistors, the series connection of said first and second enhancement-type transistors connected in electrical parallel with the enhancement-type field effect transistor that forms said first inverter stage so as to control the turn-on threshold point of said first inverter stage enhancement-type transistor; said gate electrode of a first of said first and second series connected enhancement-type field effect transistors is connected to the output terminal of said second inverter stage, and the gate electrode of the second of said first and second series connected enhancement-type field effect transistors is connected to the input terminal of said input circuit; said series connection of said first and second enhancement-type field effect transistors is connected between the output terminal of said first inverter stage and a supply of reference potential; and said input circuit providing a feedback path from the output terminal of said second inverter stage to the gate electrode of one of said series connected first and second enhancement-type field effect transistors via said second inverter stage, said feedback path controlling the conductivity of the series connection of said first and second enhancement-type field effect transistors so as to selectively clamp the output terminal of said first inverter stage to said supply of reference potential when said feedback path is activated.