Differential to single-ended CMOS converter

• US 5,606,268 A
• Filed: 02/14/1995
• Issued: 02/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Brunt, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Westin, Edward P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANTAMAURO, JON P
• Application Number:
  US08/389,075
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 307/475, 307/451, 307/443, 307/296.6, 307/296.8, 307/263, 326/68, 326/73-74, 326/80-81, 326/17, 326/21, 327/170, 327/538-539, 327/541, 327/543
• US Class Current: 326/68
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/00384 in field effect transistor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/018514 with at least one differential stage H03K19/018528 and H03K19/018542 take precedence

Abstract

A differential-to-CMOS level signal converter which receives a first differential signal having a small amplitude difference between the binary signals. The differential-to-CMOS level converter amplifies and level shifts the binary differential signal and outputs a single-ended CMOS level signal suitable for use by digital CMOS logic. A circuit for biasing the differential-to-CMOS level converter is coupled to the level shifting circuitry.

Claims

1. An apparatus for converting a small amplitude differential signal to a single-ended signal suitable for use in CMOS logic circuits, said apparatus comprising:

a first cross-coupled level shifting circuit for receiving said differential signal and for outputting a shifted signal, said first cross-coupled level shifting circuit including a cross-coupled feedback loop having a loop gain of less than one;

a first amplification circuit for amplifying said shifted signal to a level suitable for use in CMOS logic circuits; and

a biasing circuit coupled to said first cross-coupled level shifting circuit for biasing said first cross-coupled level shifting circuit and said first amplification circuit, wherein said apparatus is implemented in a CMOS digital logic process.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said differential signal comprises first and second signal components, said first cross-coupled level shifting circuit comprising:

first and second transistors each having a gate, the gate of said first transistor coupled to the first signal component of said differential signal and said gate of said second transistor coupled to the second component of said differential signal, the drains of said first and second transistors being coupled to a power supply corresponding to a CMOS high logic level; and

third and fourth transistors having sources coupled to ground, drains coupled respectively to the sources of said first and second transistors, said third and fourth transistors forming the cross-coupled feedback loop as a cross-coupled pair of transistors.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first, second, third and fourth transistors are each n-channel transistors having equal channel lengths, said first and second transistors each having a channel width approximately double the channel widths of said third and fourth transistors.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first and second transistors have channel widths approximately 1.92 times larger than the channel widths of said third and fourth transistors.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first amplification circuit comprises a pair of complimentary transistors coupled to said first level shifting circuit for receiving said shifted signal and outputting an amplified signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said pair of complimentary transistors comprises a p-channel transistor and an n-channel transistor, said p-channel transistor having a channel width approximately twice the channel width of the n-channel transistor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second amplification circuit for fanning out said amplified signal suitable for use in CMOS logic circuits.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said biasing circuit comprises:

first and second biasing transistors coupled to said first cross-coupled level shifting circuit where said first cross-coupled level shifting circuit receives said first and second components of said differential signal, said first and second biasing transistors being responsive to a biasing voltage; and

a closed-loop biasing circuit composed of a second level shifting circuit and a second amplification circuit, said closed-loop biasing circuit coupled to said first and second biasing transistors for providing said biasing voltage.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said biasing circuit comprises:

a transistor pair with physical dimensions substantially similar to the transistor pair constituted by said first and third transistors in said first cross-coupled level shifting circuit, said transistor pair receiving a fixed input voltage;

a transconductance amplifier receiving as one input the output from said transistor pair;

an inverter having an output and an input, said output being connected both to said input of said inverter and to a second input of said transconductance amplifier, said inverter comprising transistors with physical dimensions substantially similar to the complimentary pair of transistors from said first amplification circuit; and

a current mirror coupled to the output of said transconductance amplifier and to said fixed input voltage, said current mirror comprising two transistors with tied gate electrodes, wherein said biasing voltage is the signal between said tied gate electrodes.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said differential signal is one having approximately equal rise and fall times with a voltage swing between approximately 4.5 and 5.0 volts and said single-ended signal suitable for use in CMOS logic circuits swings between 0 and +5 volts.

11. A signal converter for converting a small amplitude differential signal into a single-ended signal suitable for use by complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuits, said differential signal comprising first and second signal components, said signal converter comprising:

a CMOS digital logic transistor arrangement including a cross-coupled pair of transistors that form a cross-coupled feedback loop, the transistor arrangement for receiving said differential signal and level shifting said signal with gain, said cross-coupled feedback loop having a loop gain that is less than one;

an inverting amplifier coupled to said transistor arrangement for receiving an output signal from said transistor arrangement and providing additional gain to said signal to bring it to CMOS signal levels; and

a closed-loop biasing circuit coupled to said transistor arrangement for biasing said signal converter.

12. The signal converter of claim 11 wherein said transistor arrangement comprises four n-channel transistors arranged in two series of upper and lower transistors, said four transistors having equivalent channel lengths and said upper transistors having channel widths approximately twice the channel widths of the lower transistors, said lower transistors being cross-coupled.

13. The signal converter of claim 12 wherein said upper transistors have channel widths approximately 1.92 times larger than said lower transistors.

14. The signal converter of claim 11 wherein said inverting amplifier comprises a p-channel transistor coupled to an n-channel transistor, said p-channel and n-channel transistors having approximately equal channel lengths, said p-channel transistor have approximately double the channel width of said n-channel transistor.

15. The signal converter of claim 12 wherein said closed-loop biasing circuit comprises:

a transistor pair with physical dimensions substantially similar to an upper and lower transistor series in said transistor arrangement, said transistor pair receiving a fixed input voltage;

a transconductance amplifier receiving as one input the output from said transistor pair;

an inverter having an output and an input, said output being connected both to said input of said inverter and to a second input of said transconductance amplifier, said inverter comprising transistors with physical dimensions substantially similar to the complimentary pair of transistors from said inverting amplifier; and

a current mirror coupled to the output of said transconductance amplifier and to said fixed input voltage, said current mirror comprising two transistors with tied gate electrodes, wherein said biasing voltage is the voltage between said tied gate electrodes.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said differential signal is one having approximately equal rise and fall times with a voltage swing between approximately 4.5 and 5.0 volts and said single-ended signal suitable for use in CMOS logic circuits swings between 0 and +5 volts.

17. A method of converting a small amplitude differential signal to a single-ended signal suitable for use by CMOS logic circuits, said method comprising the steps of:

level shifting said differential signal from a first level to a second level with a cross-coupled level shifting circuit implemented in a CMOS digital logic process while providing gain to said signal, said cross-coupled level shifting circuit including a cross-coupled feedback loop having a loop gain of less than one;

amplifying the signal once it has been level shifted with gain to CMOS logic circuit levels; and

biasing the level shifting and amplifying circuitry to ensure that signal level transitions are properly detected.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein said level shifting step comprises providing said differential signal to a cross-coupled gate of n-channel transistors.

19. The method according to claim 17 wherein said biasing step comprises the steps of providing a biasing voltage to level shifting circuitry wherein said biasing voltage is produced from a closed-loop biasing circuit composed of a level shifting circuit and an amplifying circuit.