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:
Jul. 01, 2003
Filed:
May. 08, 2002
Guy Harlan Humphrey, Fort Collins, CO (US);
Richard A Krzyzkowski, Ft. Collins, CO (US);
Agilent Technologies, Inc., Loveland, CO (US);
Abstract
A technique for preventing high current shorts through I/O pads of an integrated circuit during power up and power down is presented. In accordance with the invention, the voltage levels of the core power supply that powers the internal circuitry of the integrated circuit and the I/O power supply that powers the input and/or output pad drivers is monitored to detect the condition wherein the core power supply is powered down and the I/O power supply is powered up. Upon detection of this condition, the pad drivers are disabled, preferably by disabling the pre-drivers that generate the pre-drive signals that drive the output driver devices. In a preferred embodiment, the process/voltage/temperature adjustment circuitry is leveraged to disable the output pads during power up and down.