Integrated circuit having input and output drivers cascaded between I/O pads and internal circuitry

Claim 2

An integrated circuit comprising: (1) a substrate having one main surface; (2) a plurality of external connection pads formed on said main surface; (3) a plurality of input circuits and a plurality of output circuits formed on said main surface in such a manner as to form pairs that each correspond respectively to one of a plurality of said external connection pads; and (4) an internal circuit disposed on said main surface in such a manner as to receive at input terminals thereof the output signals of a plurality of said input circuits and to generate at output terminals thereof the output signals that drive the inputs of a plurality of said output circuits, wherein each of said input circuits includes an input and an output and elements which can be connected to provide a predetermined signal transmission path between the input and the output to provide a predetermined signal transmission function for said input circuit, wherein each of said output circuits includes an input and an output and elements which can be connected to provide a predetermined signal transmission path between the input and output to provide a predetermined signal transmission function for said output circuit, and wherein the predetermined signal transmission path between the input and output of said input circuit formed so as to correspond to at least one of said external connection pads and at least part of the predetermined signal transmission path between the input and output of said output circuit formed so as to correspond to said one external connection pad are connected in series between said one external connection pad and one of the input terminals of said internal circuit so that the output signal of said output circuit responds to the input signal applied to said one external connection pad in a signal transmission relation determined by the predetermined signal transmission function of said input circuit and the predetermined signal transmission function of said output circuit, and is applied to said internal circuit.

Claim 3

An integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein said input circuit includes an input stage circuit having a PNP transistor, said input stage circuit of said input circuit is used as part of the predetermined signal transmission path between the input and output of said input circuit and the input signal applied to said one external connection pad is applied to the base electrode of said PNP transistor of said input stage circuit.

Claim 4

An integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined signal transmission functions of said input circuit and that of said output circuit are logic functions.

Claim 5

An integrated circuit according to claim 3, wherein the logic functions of said input and output circuits are inverter functions.

Claim 6

An integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the rest of said external connection pads other than said one external connection pads among a plurality of said external connection pads include first and second pads; said first pad is connected to the input of said input circuit formed in such a manner as to correspond to said first pad; the output of said input circuit is transmitted to said internal circuit without passing through the predetermined signal transmission path of said output circuit formed in such a manner as to correspond to said first pad; the output signal of said internal circuit is applied to the input of said output circuit formed in such a manner as to correspond to said second pad; and the output of said output circuit is transmitted to said second pad without passing through the predetermined signal transmission path of said input circuit formed in such a manner as to correspond to said second pad.

Claim 7

An integrated circuit according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein said internal circuit is disposed at the center on the main surface of said substrate which is rectangular; a plurality of each of said input and output circuits are disposed around said internal circuit; and a plurality of said external connection pads are disposed along the four sides of said substrate in such a manner as to correspond to the pairs of said input and output circuits.

Claim 8

An integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein said input circuit corresponding to said one of said external connection pads includes means for converting the input signal applied to said one of said external connection pads to a predetermined operating level and wherein said output circuit formed to correspond to said one external connection pad is arranged to operate at said predetermined operating level and to provide the output signal thereof to said internal circuit at said predetermined operating level.

Claim 9

An integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein said output circuit corresponding to said one of said external connection pads includes means for converting said one output signal of said internal circuit to predetermined operating level, and wherein said input circuit formed to correspond to said one external connection pad is arranged to operate at said predetermined operating level and to provide the output signal thereof to said one external connection pad at said predetermined operating level.

Claim 10

An integrated circuit comprising: (1) a substrate having one main surface; (2) a plurality of external connection pads formed on said main surface; (3) a plurality of input circuits and a plurality of output circuits formed on said main surface in such a manner as to form pairs that each correspond respectively to one of a plurality of said external connection pads; and (4) an internal circuit disposed on said main surface in such a manner as to receive at input terminals thereof the output signals of a plurality of said input circuits and to generate at output terminals thereof the output signals that drive the inputs of a plurality of said output circuits, wherein each of said input circuits includes an input and an output and elements which can be connected to provide a predetermined signal transmission path between the input and the output to provide a predetermined signal transmission function for said input circuit, wherein each of output circuits includes an input and an output and elements which can be connected to provide a predetermined signal transmission path between the input and output to provide a predetermined signal transmission function for said output circuit, and wherein at least part of the predetermined signal transmission path formed between the input and output of said input circuit formed so as to correspond to at least one of a plurality of said external connection pads and the predetermined signal transmission path between the input and output of said output circuit formed so as to correspond to said one external connection pad are connected in series between one of the output terminals of said internal circuit and said one external connection pad, so that the output signal of said output circuit responds to said one output signal of said internal circuit in a signal transmission relation determined by the predetermined signal transmission function of said input circuit and the predetermined signal transmission function of said output circuit, and is applied to said one external connection pad.

Claim 11

An integrated circuit comprising: (1) a substrate having one main surface; (2) a plurality of external connection pads formed on said main surface; (3) a plurality of input circuits and a plurality of output circuits formed on said main surface in such a manner as to form pairs that each correspond respectively to one of a plurality of said external connection pads; and (4) an internal circuit disposed on said main surface in such a manner as to receive at input terminals thereof the output signals of a plurality of said input circuits and to generate at output terminals thereof the output signals that drive the inputs of a plurality of said output circuits, wherein each of said input circuits includes an input and an output and elements which can be connected to provide a predetermined signal transmission path between the input and the output to provide a predetermined signal transmission function for said input circuit, wherein each of output circuits includes an input and an output and elements which can be connected to provide a predetermined signal transmission path between the input and output to provide a predetermined signal transmission function for said output circuit, and wherein at least part of the predetermined signal transmission path formed between the input and output of said input circuit formed so as to correspond to at least one of a plurality of said external connection pads and the predetermined signal transmission path between the input and output of said output circuit formed so as to correspond to said one external connection pad are connected in series between one of the output terminals of said internal circuit and said one external connection pad, so that the output signal of said output circuit responds to said one output signal of said internal circuit in a signal transmission relation determined by the predetermined signal transmission function of said input circuit and the predetermined signal transmission function of said output circuit, and is applied to said one external connection pad.

Claim 12

An integrated circuit according to claim 9, wherein said input circuit includes an input stage circuit having a PNP transistor, and said input stage circuit of said input circuit is not used for at least part of the predetermined signal transmission path between the input and output of said input circuit.

Claim 13

An integrated circuit according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined signal transmission functions of said input circuit and that of said output circuit are logic functions.

Claim 14

An integrated circuit according to claim 11, wherein the logic functions of said input and output circuits are inverter functions.

Claim 15

An integrated circuit according to claim 9, wherein the rest of said external connection pads other than said one external connection pad among a plurality of said external connection pads includes first and second pads; said first pad is connected to the input of said input circuit formed so as to correspond to said first pad; the output of said input circuit is transmitted to said internal circuit without passing through the predetermined signal transmission path of said output circuit formed so as to correspond to said second pad; and the output of said output circuit is transmitted to said second pad without passing through the predetermined signal transmission path of said input circuit formed so as to correspond to said second pad.

Claim 16

An integrated circuit according to claim 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13, wherein said internal circuit is disposed at the center on the main plane of said substrate which is rectangular; a plurality of each of said input and output circuits are disposed around said internal circuit; and a plurality of said external connection pads are disposed around the four sides of said substrate in such a manner as to correspond to the pairs of said input and output circuits.