CMOS driver/receiver for simultaneous bidirectional transmission

摘要

A CMOS driver/receiver pair is provided which includes a non-inverting buffer in the input path to a differential receiver circuit. The non-inverting buffer allows a plurality of different voltages, and corresponding voltage swings, to be possible. This allows the differential receiver to compare the input voltage received from the transmission line with the output from its associated driver. Therefore, the receiver is capable of determining the voltage level (and the corresponding logic level) input from the transmission at the same time its associated driver is outputting a logic signal to another driver/receiver pair, via the transmission line. A single voltage source is utilized to provide multiple positive voltages to the differential receivers, such that differences in voltage levels which correspond to different logical combinations of "1" and "0" can be determined by the receiver. <IMAGE>