SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BREAKDOWN PROTECTION FOR SWITCHING OUTPUT DRIVER

摘要

An integrated circuit device includes a driver circuit (100) having a pull-up network with a first pull-up transistor (108) coupled to a second pull-up transistor (110) at a first node (VP), and a pull-down network coupled to the pull-up network including a first pull-down transistor (112) coupled to a second pull-down transistor (114) at a second node (VN). A first bias switch (116) is coupled to the first node. A second bias switch (118) is coupled to the second node. A control circuit (104) is coupled to operate the first and second bias switches. The first bias switch is operated to reduce a voltage at the first node during a pull-down cycle of the driver circuit and the second bias switch is operated to reduce a voltage at the second node during a pull-up cycle of the driver circuit.

主权项

1. An integrated circuit device comprising:
a driver circuit including:
a pull-up network including a first pull-up transistor coupled to a second pull-up transistor at a first node;a pull-down network coupled to the pull-up network including a first pull-down transistor coupled to a second pull-down transistor at a second node;a first bias switch coupled to the first node;a second bias switch coupled to the second node; anda control circuit coupled to operate the first and second bias switches, the first bias switch is operated to reduce a voltage at the first node during a pull-down cycle of the driver circuit and the second bias switch is operated to reduce a voltage at the second node during a pull-up cycle of the driver circuit.