Configurable clamp circuit
First Claim
1. A circuit comprising:
- a clamp driver circuit comprising a pull-up circuit coupled between a first power supply terminal and an output terminal of the clamp driver circuit, and a pull-down circuit coupled between a second power supply terminal and the output terminal of the clamp driver circuit;
a voltage regulator coupled between the first power supply terminal and the pull-up circuit; and
a logic circuit coupled to the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit, the logic circuit comprising a clamp driver configuration input and a clamp driver input, wherein the logic circuit is configured to;
operate the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit according to a first polarity when the clamp driver configuration input is in a first state, andoperate the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit according to a second polarity opposite the first polarity and deactivate the voltage regulator when the clamp driver configuration input is in a second state different from the first state.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a circuit includes a configurable clamp driver circuit for clamping a voltage at a gate terminal of a transistor below a turn-on voltage threshold upon switch-off of the transistor. In a first clamp driver circuit mode, an output terminal of the clamp driver circuit is configured to be coupled to the gate terminal of the transistor to provide a first discharge path from the gate terminal of the transistor upon switch-off of the transistor. In a second clamp driver circuit mode, the output terminal of the clamp driver circuit is configured to be coupled to an input terminal of a clamp circuit, wherein the clamp circuit is coupled to the gate terminal of the transistor to provide a second discharge path from the gate terminal of the transistor upon switch-off of the transistor.
10 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A circuit comprising:
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a clamp driver circuit comprising a pull-up circuit coupled between a first power supply terminal and an output terminal of the clamp driver circuit, and a pull-down circuit coupled between a second power supply terminal and the output terminal of the clamp driver circuit; a voltage regulator coupled between the first power supply terminal and the pull-up circuit; and a logic circuit coupled to the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit, the logic circuit comprising a clamp driver configuration input and a clamp driver input, wherein the logic circuit is configured to; operate the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit according to a first polarity when the clamp driver configuration input is in a first state, and operate the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit according to a second polarity opposite the first polarity and deactivate the voltage regulator when the clamp driver configuration input is in a second state different from the first state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of operating a configurable clamp driver circuit, the method comprising:
configuring the clamp driver circuit, comprising receiving a control signal; configuring a selectable polarity of a clamping signal output by the clamp driver circuit at an output terminal based on the received control signal; configuring the clamp driver circuit by coupling the output terminal of the clamp driver circuit to a gate terminal of an external clamp transistor, wherein an output terminal of the external clamp transistor is coupled to the gate terminal of a first transistor; switching off the first transistor; and activating the clamp driver circuit according to the configured selectable polarity; and deactivating a voltage regulator coupled between a power supply terminal and an output stage of the clamp driver circuit. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method of operating a clamp driver circuit comprising a pull-up circuit coupled between a first power supply terminal and an output terminal of the clamp driver circuit, and a pull-down circuit coupled between a second power supply terminal and the output terminal of the clamp driver circuit;
- a voltage regulator coupled between the first power supply terminal and the pull-up circuit; and
a logic circuit coupled to the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit, the logic circuit comprising a clamp driver configuration input and a clamp driver input, the method comprising;using the logic circuit, operating the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit according to a first polarity when the clamp driver configuration input is in a first state; and using the logic circuit, operating the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit according to a second polarity opposite the first polarity and deactivate the voltage regulator when the clamp driver configuration input is in a second state different from the first state.
- a voltage regulator coupled between the first power supply terminal and the pull-up circuit; and
Specification