Scalable Protection Voltage Generation
First Claim
1. A circuit comprising:
- a bias generator circuit coupled to a first voltage node, a second voltage node, and a ground voltage node, the first voltage node being a first voltage signal and the second voltage node being a second voltage signal, the second voltage signal being a positive voltage and being greater than the first voltage signal, the bias generator circuit configured to generate a plurality of protection voltages at a first plurality of nodes based on the first voltage node and the second voltage node; and
a voltage protection circuit between the first voltage node and a low voltage circuit, the voltage protection circuit coupled to the plurality of protection voltages at the first plurality of nodes, each of the plurality of protection voltages are substantially equal to the second voltage signal, the voltage protection circuit configured to generate a first low voltage based on the first voltage node and the plurality of protection voltages.
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Abstract
According to an embodiment, a circuit includes a protection voltage generator coupled to a first voltage node, a second voltage node, and a ground voltage node, the protection voltage generator configured to generate a plurality of protection voltages at a first plurality of nodes based on the first voltage node and the second voltage node, and a voltage protection ladder coupled between the first voltage node and a low voltage circuit, the voltage protection ladder coupled to the plurality of protection voltages at the first plurality of nodes, the voltage protection ladder configured to generate a first low voltage based on the first voltage node and the plurality of protection voltages.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A circuit comprising:
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a bias generator circuit coupled to a first voltage node, a second voltage node, and a ground voltage node, the first voltage node being a first voltage signal and the second voltage node being a second voltage signal, the second voltage signal being a positive voltage and being greater than the first voltage signal, the bias generator circuit configured to generate a plurality of protection voltages at a first plurality of nodes based on the first voltage node and the second voltage node; and a voltage protection circuit between the first voltage node and a low voltage circuit, the voltage protection circuit coupled to the plurality of protection voltages at the first plurality of nodes, each of the plurality of protection voltages are substantially equal to the second voltage signal, the voltage protection circuit configured to generate a first low voltage based on the first voltage node and the plurality of protection voltages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method comprising:
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dividing a first supply voltage into a first set of voltages; generating a plurality of protection voltages, a first protection voltage of the plurality of protection voltages based on two of the first set of voltages and a second supply voltage, the other protection voltages of the plurality of the protection voltages each based on two of the first set of voltages and one of the other protection voltages of the plurality of protection voltages, each of the plurality of protection voltages based on a different two of the first set of voltages; and generating a first low voltage from the first supply voltage based on the plurality of protection voltages. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. The method of claim ii, wherein the generating a first low voltage from the first supply voltage based on the plurality of protection voltages further comprises dropping the first supply voltage with a plurality of cascode devices serially connected between the first supply voltage and the first low voltage, each of the cascode devices being coupled to one of the plurality of protection voltages.
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14. A circuit comprising:
a bias generator circuit coupled to a first power supply voltage, the bias generator circuit comprising bias voltage generators having inputs coupled to a first set of input voltages, the bias voltage generators configured to generate bias voltages at their outputs, wherein the bias generator circuit comprises; a first bias voltage generator having a first input and a second input coupled to different voltages of the first set of input voltages, and a third input coupled to a second power supply voltage, the second power supply voltage being different than the first power supply voltage; a second bias voltage generator having a first input and a second input coupled to different voltages of the first set of input voltages, and a third input coupled to an output of the first bias voltage generator; and a cascode ladder comprising cascode devices serially coupled between the first power supply voltage and a low voltage device, each of the cascode devices being coupled to one of the bias voltages. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification