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:
Jan. 08, 2008
Filed:
Feb. 10, 2005
Shi-dong Zhou, Milpitas, CA (US);
Andy T. Nguyen, San Jose, CA (US);
Shi-dong Zhou, Milpitas, CA (US);
Andy T. Nguyen, San Jose, CA (US);
Xilinx, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A pre-driver for large I/O pull-up and pull-down transistors is provided so that the I/O pull-up and pull-down transistors do not experience crowbar current, and the pre-driver circuit likewise does not experience crowbar current or require large driver transistors. One pre-driver circuit includes two NAND gates and two NOR gates with delay circuitry provided by two series inverters from a data input to a first node, and two additional series inverters from the first node to a second node. A further pre-driver circuit includes feedback from the pre-driver outputs to ensure its NMOS and PMOS transistors do not turn on together to create crowbar, while allowing faster switching. With the pre-driver circuit embodiments, a conventional level shifter can be used. Further with the pre-driver circuitry, slew rate control can be provided in the pull-up and pull-down driver circuitry, rather than in the pre-driver circuitry.