DRIVER CIRCUIT FOR A THREE-STATE GATE ARRAY USING LOW DRIVING CURRENT

摘要

A driver-circuit for simultaneously setting up a plurality of output buffers of a 3-stage gate array into and out of a floating state using low control current. A buffer driver transistor (96) is provided for each output buffer with the primary control path of that transistor introducing a control circuit to the respected output buffer. A common driver transistor (108) has a primary current path which provides a control signal to the control electrodes of a plurality of buffer driver transistors (96). Clamp means are provided for discharging the conductor means (40) to ground upon turn-off of the common driver transistor. Clamp means preferably includes a clamp transistor (106) having a primary current path coupled between the conductor means and ground and having a differentiator (102, 104) coupled to the common driver transistor (108) for detecting the leading edge of turn-off of that transistor (108) and in response thereto momentarily, dynamically turning on the clamp transistor (106) to couple the conductor means to ground and thereby discharge any effective capacitance of the conductor means (40) to ground.