All MOS single-ended to differential level converter

• US 5,541,532 A
• Filed: 08/17/1995
• Issued: 07/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics NV
• Original Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: McCall, Kevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Westin, Edward P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSEEN, RICHARD R
• Application Number:
  US08/516,384
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 326/68, 326/83, 326/34, 326/27, 326/73
• US Class Current: 326/68
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/00384 in field effect transistor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/018528 with at least one differential stage

Abstract

An all MOS single-ended to differential level converter including: first and second source follower circuits each including first and second PMOS semiconductors each having a drain, a source and a gate electrode; a current source commonly connected to the drain electrodes of the first and second PMOS semiconductors; an input circuit for providing to one of the gate electrodes a single-ended input signal and to the other an inverted single-ended input signal; and first and second load impedances connected to the source electrodes of the first and second PMOS semiconductors, respectively, for providing output analog differential signals at a level which is a function of the load impedances and current source magnitude.

Claims

1. An all MOS single-ended to differential level converter comprising:

first and second source follower circuits each including first and second PMOS semiconductors each having a drain, a source and a gate electrode;

a current source commonly connected to said drain electrodes of said first and second PMOS semiconductors;

an input circuit for providing to one of said gate electrodes a single-ended input signal and to the other an inverted said single-ended input signal;

first and second load impedences connected to said source electrodes of said first and second PMOS semiconductors, respectively; and

first and second output terminals for providing output analog differential signals at a level which is a function of said load impedances and current source magnitude;

said first output terminal connector to said first load impedance and to said first PMOS semiconductor and said second output terminal connected to said second load impedance and to said second PMOS semiconductor.

2. The all MOS single-ended to differential level converter of claim 1 in which said current source is an NMOS semiconductor with its drain electrode connected to said drain electrodes of said first and second semiconductors.

3. The all MOS single-ended to differential level converter of claim 1 in which said input includes two channels one connected to each of said gate electrodes of said first and second PMOS semiconductors one of said channels including an inverter and the other including a non-inverting transmission gate for propagation delay equalization.

4. The all MOS single-ended to differential level converter of claim 1 in which said first and second load impedances include third and fourth PMOS semiconductors, respectively.

5. The all MOS single-ended to differential level converter of claim 4 further including a replica bias circuit for biasing said third and fourth PMOS semiconductors.