Voltage translator device

• US 10,277,226 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2018
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Huang, Lei
• Primary Examiner(s): Zweizig, Jeffery S
• Application Number:
  US16/005,298
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/223 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/018521 of complementary type, e.g. CMOS
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/018571 of complementary type, e.g. CMOS
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/356008 ensuring a predetermined initial state when the supply voltage has been applied; storing the actual state when the supply voltage fails digital storage cells each combining volatile and non-volatile storage properties G11C14/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/356104 using complementary field-effect transistors H03K3/35625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/356113 using additional transistors in the input circuit

Abstract

In at least one general aspect, an apparatus can include a first voltage domain circuit configured to operate based on a first upper voltage and a first lower voltage, and a second voltage domain circuit configured to operate based on a second upper voltage and a second lower voltage. The apparatus can include a capacitive coupling circuit electrically connected between the first voltage domain circuit and the second voltage domain circuit, and a driver circuit including a switch device and electrically coupled to the second voltage domain circuit. The apparatus can also include an intermediate voltage domain circuit configured to trigger switching of the switch device included in the driver circuit where the intermediate voltage domain is configured to operate based on an intermediate voltage and the second upper voltage or the second lower voltage.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first voltage domain circuit configured to operate based on a first upper voltage and a first lower voltage;

a second voltage domain circuit configured to operate based on a second upper voltage and a second lower voltage;

a capacitive coupling circuit electrically connected between the first voltage domain circuit and the second voltage domain circuit;

a driver circuit including a switch device and electrically coupled to the second voltage domain circuit; and

an intermediate voltage domain circuit configured to trigger switching of the switch device included in the driver circuit, the intermediate voltage domain circuit configured to operate based on an intermediate voltage and the second upper voltage or the second lower voltage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intermediate voltage is less than the second upper voltage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intermediate voltage is greater than the second lower voltage.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a difference between the intermediate voltage and the second upper voltage or the second lower voltage is at least two times greater than a threshold voltage of the switch device included in the driver circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch device is an N-channel device when the intermediate voltage domain operates based on the intermediate voltage and the second lower voltage.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch device is a P-channel device when the intermediate voltage domain operates based on the intermediate voltage and the second upper voltage.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first voltage domain circuit includes a latch circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second voltage domain circuit includes a latch circuit configured to be set and reset in response to the switch device.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a capacitive coupling circuit

an input circuit electrically coupled on a first side of the capacitive coupling circuit and configured to operate based on a first voltage domain; and

an output circuit on a second side of the capacitive coupling circuit,

the output circuit including;

a first latch circuit configured to operate based on a second voltage domain different from the first voltage domain,

a switch device, and

a second latch circuit configured to trigger switching of the switch device and configured to operate based on an intermediate voltage domain.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the intermediate voltage domain has a voltage range that overlaps with a voltage range of the second voltage domain.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the intermediate voltage domain has an upper voltage that is equal to an upper voltage of the second voltage domain.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the intermediate voltage domain has a lower voltage that is equal to a lower voltage of the second voltage domain.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the intermediate voltage domain has a voltage range at least two times greater than a threshold voltage of the switch device.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first latch circuit is configured to be set and reset by the switch device.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first voltage domain has a voltage range different from a voltage range of the second voltage domain.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving an input voltage at a first voltage domain circuit configured to operate based on a first upper voltage and a first lower voltage;

providing an output voltage at a second voltage domain circuit configured to operate based on a second upper voltage and a second lower voltage;

capacitively coupling the input voltage to an intermediate voltage domain circuit configured to operate based on an intermediate voltage and the second upper voltage or the second lower voltage; and

trigger switching of a switch device driving the second voltage domain circuit based on the capacitively coupled input voltage.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first voltage domain has a voltage range different from a voltage range of the second voltage domain.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second voltage domain circuit includes a latch circuit configured to be set and reset in response to the switch device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a difference between the intermediate voltage and the second upper voltage or the second lower voltage is at least two times greater than a threshold voltage of the switch device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the intermediate voltage is between the second upper voltage and the second lower voltage.