Output circuit for producing positive and negative pulses at a single output terminal

Claim 1

A circuit for providing both a positive-going and a negative-going pulse output at a single output terminal in response to the receipt of a single trigger input pulse, said circuit comprising in combination: a. a clock input terminal for receiving a synchronizing clock signal that periodically switches between a first clock logic level and a second clock logic level, said synchronizing clock signal having a predetermined frequency; b. a divide-by-2 circuit having an input coupled to said clock input terminal for receiving said synchronizing clock signal and having an output providing a divided clock signal, the divided clock signal having a frequency of one-half that of the synchronizing clock signal, the output of said divide-by-2 circuit alternating between high and low logic levels upon each transition of the synchronizing clock signal from the second clock logic level to the first clock logic level; c. a transmission gate having a data input coupled to the output of said divide-by-2 circuit for receiving the divided clock signal, said transmission gate having an output terminal for providing both a positive-going and a negative-going pulse output, said transmission gate including a control terminal for receiving a control signal, said transmission gate being responsive to said control signal for electrically coupling the divided clock signal to the output terminal of said transmission gate when the control signal is in a first enabled state, and being responsive to said control signal for causing the output terminal of said transmission gate to assume a high impedance state when the control signal is in a second disabled state; d. a trigger input terminal for receiving a trigger pulse; and e. control circuit means coupled to said trigger input terminal and to said clock input terminal for receiving the trigger pulse and the synchronizing clock signal, respectively, said control circuit means being coupled to the control terminal of said transmission gate for providing the control signal thereto, said control circuit means initially causing the control signal to assume the second disabled sate prior to receipt of a trigger pulse, said control circuit means causing the control signal to switch to its first enabled state after detecting a first transition of the synchronizing clock signal from the first clock logic level to the second clock logic level after receipt of the trigger pulse, and said control circuit means causing the control signal to again switch to its second disabled state after detecting a second transition of the synchronizing clock signal from the first clock logic level to the second clock logic level following receipt of the trigger pulse, said control circuit means including: (i) latch means having an input coupled to said trigger input terminal for receiving the trigger pulse, having a latch output, and having a reset terminal for receiving a reset signal, said latch means causing the latch output thereof to assume a first logic state upon receipt of the trigger pulse and causing the latch output to assume a second logic state upon receiving the reset signal at the reset terminal thereof; and (ii) flip-flop means having a data input terminal, a clock terminal, and a control output terminal, the data input terminal of said flip-flop means being coupled to the latch output, the clock terminal of said flip-flop means being responsive to the synchronizing clock signal for causing the control output terminal of said flip-flop means to assume an output state in accordance with the state of the data input terminal upon each transition of the synchronizing clock signal from the first clock logic level to the second clock logic level, the control output terminal of said flip-flop means being coupled to said reset terminal of said latch means and to the control terminal of said transmission gate for supplying the control signal thereto.