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:
Nov. 11, 2014
Filed:
Apr. 29, 2011
David Amory Sobel, Los Altos, CA (US);
Xin Dai, Fremont, CA (US);
David Amory Sobel, Los Altos, CA (US);
Xin Dai, Fremont, CA (US);
Broadcom Corporation, Irvine, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus that is configurable to perform a forward scan, a row scan, and a column scan is disclosed. The apparatus includes a path selection module coupled to a transmitter and a receiver. The path selection module includes a row-transmit switch, a column-receive switch, a row-receive switch, and a column-transmit switch that are configurable to form various transmit paths and receive paths to perform the forward scan, a row scan, and a column scan. The row-transmit switch and the column-transmit switch cascades switching transistors to protect against large voltage swings present in an output of the transmitter, controls the gate voltage that is applied to these switching transistors to protect against the large voltage swings, and includes additional protection circuitry to ensure their reliability. The column-receive switch and the row-receive switch uses thick oxide transistors to protect thin oxide transistors against the large voltage swings and/or includes additional protection circuitry to ensure their reliability.