Low power low temperature ECL output driver circuit
First Claim
1. A temperature compensated ECL output driver circuit comprising an ECL output gate coupled between high and low potential power rails and having first and second ECL output gate transistors with a first common emitter node coupling providing alternative collector current paths through respective output voltage swing resistors according to data input signals at a base node input of one of the ECL output gate transistors, said ECL output gate providing an output node at the collector node of one of the ECL output gate transistors, and a first current sink coupled between the first common emitter node coupling and low potential power rail, the improvement for operation of the ECL output driver circuit at low power and low temperature comprising:
- a compensating current source coupled to the ECL output gate output node for generating a supplementary compensating current during operation of the ECL output driver circuit in intermediate and high temperature operating ranges in a compensating current path through the output voltage swing resistor coupled to said output node to permit operation of the first current sink of the ECL output gate at relatively low power;
and an ECL compensating current switch (CCS) gate coupled in the compensating current path and constructed for switching off the supplementary compensating current in a specified low temperature operating range.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A temperature compensated ECL output driver circuit incorporates an ECL output gate (Q4,Q3) coupled between high (VCC) and low (VEE) potential power rails with output voltage swing resistors (R2, R1). The ECL output gate provides an output node (N1) at the collector node of one of the ECL output gate transistors (Q4). A first current sink (Q5,R4) is coupled between the common emitter node coupling (N3) of the ECL output gate (Q4,Q3) and low potential power rail (VEE). A compensating current source (Q11,R5) is coupled to the ECL output gate output node (N1) for generating a supplementary compensating current during operation of the ECL output driver circuit in intermediate and high temperature operating ranges. A compensating current switch (Q9,Q10) is coupled in the compensating current path and is constructed for switching off the supplementary compensating current in a specified low temperature operating range to maintain the logic high output signal VOH within specifications. The compensating current switch is an ECL compensating current switch (CCS) gate (Q9,Q10) and the compensating current source is a second current sink (Q11,R5) coupled to the ECL CCS gate.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A temperature compensated ECL output driver circuit comprising an ECL output gate coupled between high and low potential power rails and having first and second ECL output gate transistors with a first common emitter node coupling providing alternative collector current paths through respective output voltage swing resistors according to data input signals at a base node input of one of the ECL output gate transistors, said ECL output gate providing an output node at the collector node of one of the ECL output gate transistors, and a first current sink coupled between the first common emitter node coupling and low potential power rail, the improvement for operation of the ECL output driver circuit at low power and low temperature comprising:
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a compensating current source coupled to the ECL output gate output node for generating a supplementary compensating current during operation of the ECL output driver circuit in intermediate and high temperature operating ranges in a compensating current path through the output voltage swing resistor coupled to said output node to permit operation of the first current sink of the ECL output gate at relatively low power; and an ECL compensating current switch (CCS) gate coupled in the compensating current path and constructed for switching off the supplementary compensating current in a specified low temperature operating range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of operating an ECL output driver circuit for low power operation in a low temperature range, said ECL output driver circuit having an ECL output gate with first and second ECL output gate transistors with a first common emitter node coupling providing alternative collector paths through respective output voltage swing resistors according to data input signals at a base node input of one of the ECL output transistors, said ECL output gate providing an output node at the collector node of one of the ECL output gate transistors, comprising:
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sinking a first current through the output voltage swing resistor in the collector current path of the first ECL gate output transistor, said output voltage swing resistor being coupled to the output node at the collector node of the first ECL gate transistor, said first current passing in a first current path through the first ECL output gate transistor and first common emitter node; sinking a supplementary compensating second current through the output voltage swing resistor in the collector current path of the first ECL gate output transistor, and passing the second current through the output node and through a separate compensating current path to the low potential power rail in parallel with the first current path through the first ECL output gate transistor and first common emitter node, and maintaining said supplementary compensating current through said output voltage swing resistor during intermediate and high temperature operation of the ECL output driver circuit; and switching off the supplementary compensating current through said output voltage swing resistor in a low temperature operating range of the ECL output driver circuit, said step of switching off the supplementary compensating current through said output voltage swing resistor comprising switching the supplementary compensating current in an ECL compensating current switch (CCS) gate from a first ECL CCS gate transistor coupled in the supplementary compensating current path to a second ECL CCS gate transistor coupled outside said supplementary compensating current path. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A temperature compensated ECL output driver circuit comprising an ECL output gate coupled between high and low potential power rails and having first and second ECL output gate transistors with a first common emitter node coupling providing alternative collector current paths through respective collector node output voltage swing resistors according to a data input signal at a base node input of one of the ECL output gate transistors, a first current sink coupled between the common emitter node coupling of the ECL output gate transistors and low potential power rail, at least one emitter follower transistor output circuit coupled to a collector output node of one of the ECL output gate transistors for delivering logic high and logic low potential level output signals at an output, and a temperature compensating network coupled between collector nodes of the respective ECL output gate transistors, the improvement for compensated operation of the ECL output driver circuit so that logic high output signals remain within a desired specification voltage range during operation at low power and low temperature comprising:
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an ECL compensating current switch (CCS) gate comprising first and second CCS gate transistors with a second common emitter node coupling; a second current sink coupled between said second common emitter node coupling and low potential power rail; a diode stack of n series coupled VBE potential drop components having a negative temperature coefficient coupled between the high potential power rail and a base node of the first ECL CCS gate transistor and a third current sink coupled between said diode stack and low potential power rail; and a compensating reference voltage source coupled between high potential power rail and a base node of the second ECL CCS gate transistor, said compensating reference voltage source being selected to provide a voltage drop slightly greater than nVBE at intermediate and high temperature operating ranges for formally operating the CCS gate with the first CCS gate transistor conducting a supplementary compensating current through the output voltage swing resistor at the output node of the ECL output gate to permit relatively low power operation of the first current sink; said diode stack being selected to provide a voltage drop nVBE greater than the reference voltage source (V1) in a specified low temperature operating range of the ECL output driver circuit to cut off the supplementary compensating current through said output voltage swing resistor in the low temperature operating range for maintaining a relatively low voltage drop across the output voltage swing resistor at the collector output node so that logic high potential level output signals remain within a desired specification voltage range during operation at low power and low temperature. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A temperature compensated ECL output driver circuit comprising an ECL output gate having an output voltage swing resistor coupled to an output node, the improvement for operation of the ECL output driver circuit at low power and low temperature comprising:
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a compensating current source coupled to the ECL output gate output node for generating a supplementary compensating current during operation of the ECL output driver circuit in a first temperature operating range in a compensating current path through the output voltage swing resistor; and a compensating current switch coupled in the compensating current path and constructed for switching off the supplementary compensating current during operation of the ECL output driver circuit in a specified second temperature operating range lower than the first temperature operating range, said compensating current switch being an ECL compensating current switch (CCS) gate, said compensating current source being a current sink coupled between the ECL CCS gate and a low potential power rail. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method of operating an ECL output driver circuit for low power operation in a low temperature range, said ECL output driver circuit comprising an ECL output gate having an output voltage swing resistor coupled to an output node, comprising:
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sinking a first current through the output voltage swing resistor and output node in a first current path of the ECL output gate; sinking a supplementary compensating second current through the output voltage swing resistor, and passing the second current through the output node and through a separate compensating current path to a low potential power rail in parallel with the first current path through the first ECL output gate, and maintaining said supplementary compensating current through said output voltage swing resistor during a first operating temperature range of the ECL output driver circuit; and switching off the supplementary compensating current through said output voltage swing resistor in a second temperature operating range of the ECL output driver circuit lower than the first operating temperature range, said step of switching off the supplementary compensating current through said output voltage swing resistor comprising switching the supplementary compensating current in an ECL compensating current switch (CCS) gate from a first ECL CCS gate transistor coupled in the supplementary compensating current path to a second ECL CCS gate transistor coupled outside said supplementary compensating current path. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification