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Dual signal protocol input/output (I/O) buffer circuit

  • US 10,224,911 B1
  • Filed: 03/31/2016
  • Issued: 03/05/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An integrated circuit device, comprising:

  • a first input/output (I/O) buffer circuit transferring signals based on a given signal transmission protocol selected from a group of signal transmission protocols, wherein the first input/output buffer circuit comprises;

    first and second groups of stacked transistors, wherein the first group of stacked transistors transfers signals formatted in accordance with a first signal transmission protocol from the group of signal transmission protocols, and the second group of stacked transistors transfers the signals formatted in accordance to a plurality of signal transmission protocols from the group of signal transmission protocols, wherein the first input/output buffer circuit transfers the signals formatted in accordance with the first signal transmission protocol by activating both the first and second groups of stacked transistors, and wherein the first input/output buffer circuit transfers the signals formatted in accordance with the second signal transmission protocol by activating only one of the first and second groups of stacked transistors and biasing a subset of the transistors in the selectively activated one of the first and second groups of stacked transistors at an intermediate voltage that is different from voltages applied to activate or deactivate transistors, wherein the group of signal transmission protocols includes a single ended signal transmission protocol and a differential signal transmission protocol.

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