The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 17, 2003
Filed:
Dec. 21, 2000
Patrick J. Landy, Melborne, FL (US);
Intersil Americas, Inc., Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) switch circuit for an integrated circuit (IC) with multiple power inputs for improving pin-to-power isolation of the IC. The IC includes a plurality of positive power pins and a corresponding plurality of negative power pins. The IC also includes an ESD ring network with a high ESD bus and a low ESD bus. The IC further includes a control circuit indicating one of several operational modes. The ESD switch circuit includes a first switch circuit that couples the high ESD bus to a first positive power pin in a first operational mode and that couples the high ESD bus to a second positive power pin in a second operational mode. The ESD switch circuit further includes a second switch circuit that couples the low ESD bus to a first negative power pin in the first operational mode and that couples the low ESD bus to a second negative power pin in the second operational mode. When power is removed or when the IC is disconnected from other circuitry, the switch circuit disconnects the power inputs from the ESD buses so that ESD conduction operates as normal.