ECL bidirectional bus for use in a network with modules which employs high resistance interconnect technology between module

Claim 1

In an electronic network comprising a plurality of receivers, a plurality of drivers and a plurality of interconnect lines for coupling signals between said receivers and drivers, the improvement comprising, a) drivers which are constructed with emitter-coupled-logic bipolar technology, each of which drivers comprise 1) an output transistor that has a base coupled to receive a drive signal, a collector coupled to a first voltage source and an emitter coupled to one of said interconnect lines, 2) a pull-down transistor that has a base coupled to a reference voltage, its collector coupled to the emitter of said output transistor and an emitter, and 3) a disable transistor that has a base coupled to receive a disable signal which drives said disable transistor into conduction when said disable signal is at an active level and an emitter coupled to the emitter of said pull-down transistor, b) a pull-down resistor coupled between said junction point and a second voltage source, and c) disable signal generator means for supplying said disable signals to said disable transistors in a manner such that all of said disable transistors except one will be turned on at a given time, wherein said disable transistors are biased so that when they are turned on they will supply sufficient current to the pull-down resistor to which they are coupled to maintain the pull-down transistor which is also coupled to said pull-down resistor in a substantially cut-off state.