Output circuit for a transmission system

• US 6,292,028 B1
• Filed: 08/23/1999
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Company Limited (ROHM Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Tomita, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tokar, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAN, VIBOL
• Application Number:
  US09/379,123
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 326/30, 326/81, 326/83, 326/86, 326/87, 327/53, 327/65, 327/66, 327/69
• US Class Current: 326/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0272 Arrangements for coupling to multiple lines, e.g. for differential transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/028 Arrangements specific to the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0292 Arrangements specific to the receiver end

Abstract

An output circuit for a transmission system is disclosed. The output circuit of the present invention comprises an input terminal receiving an input logical signal, a first output terminal outputting a first output logical signal having a logic corresponding to a logic of the input logical signal, a second output terminal outputting a second output logical signal having a logic corresponding to an inverted logic of the input logical signal, a first constant voltage supply circuit generating a first voltage level, a second constant voltage supply circuit generating a second voltage level, and an output logic formation circuit connected to said first and second constant voltage supply circuits. The output logic formation circuit generates the first and second output logical signals having either the first voltage level or second voltage level based on the logic of the input logical signal.

Claims

1. An output circuit, comprising:

an input terminal receiving an input logical signal;

a first output terminal outputting a first output logical signal having a logic corresponding to a logic of the input logical signal;

a second output terminal outputting a second output logical signal having a logic corresponding to an inverted logic of the input logical signal;

a first constant voltage supply circuit generating a first voltage level;

a second constant voltage supply circuit generating a second voltage level; and

an output logic formation circuit connected to said first and second constant voltage supply circuits, said output logic formation circuit generating the first and second output logical signals having either the first voltage level or second voltage level based on the logic of the input logical signal, said output logic formation circuit including;

an inverter having an input receiving the input logical signal and an output,

a first NMOS transistor having a gate receiving the input logical signal, a source connected to said first constant voltage supply circuit and a drain connected to said second output terminal,

a first PMOS transistor having a gate receiving the input logical signal, a source connected to said second constant voltage supply circuit and a drain connected to said second output terminal,

a second NMOS transistor having a gate connected to the output of said inverter, a source connected to said first constant voltage supply circuit and a drain connected to said first output terminal, and

a second PMOS transistor having a gate connected to the output of said inverter, a source connected to said second constant voltage supply circuit and a drain connected to said first output terminal.

2. The output circuit according to claim 1, wherein said first and second constant voltage supply circuits comprise a voltage drop circuit having an output node, the voltage drop circuit decreasing a voltage supplied from a voltage source to generate the first and second voltage levels to the output node thereof.

3. The output circuit according to claim 2, wherein the voltage drop circuit is a transistor having a gate, a source connected to the voltage source and a drain connected to the output node of the voltage drop circuit.

4. The output circuit according to claim 2, wherein said first and second constant voltage supply circuits further comprise a control circuit controlling the voltage drop circuit based on a voltage level on the output node of the voltage drop circuit.

5. The output circuit according to claim 4, wherein the control circuit turns to a power down mode in response to a power down signal received thereto.

6. The output circuit according to claim 4, wherein the control circuit is a differential amplifier having a first input connected to the output node of the voltage drop circuit, a second input receiving a referential potential and an output connected to the voltage drop circuit.

7. The output circuit according to claim 6, further comprising a referential potential generator connected to the differential amplifier for supplying the referential potential.

8. The output circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third NMOS transistor having a gate connected to a power supply, a source connected to the first constant voltage supply circuit and a drain,

a third PMOS transistor having a gate connected to the ground, a source connected to the second constant voltage supply circuit and a drain,

a terminating potential node supplying a terminating potential,

a first terminating resistor connected between the drain of the third NMOS transistor and the terminating potential node, and

a second terminating resistor connected between the drain of the third PMOS transistor and the terminating potential node.

9. The output circuit according to claim 8, wherein said first and second constant voltage supply circuits comprise:

a voltage drop circuit having an output node, the voltage drop circuit decreasing a voltage supplied from a voltage source to generate the first and second voltage levels to the output node thereof, and

a control circuit controlling the voltage drop circuit based on a voltage level on the drain of the third NMOS and PMOS transistors.

10. The output circuit according to claim 1, wherein said output logic formation circuit comprises:

an inverter having an input receiving the input logical signal and an output,

a first NMOS transistor having a gate connected to the output of the inverter, a first terminal connected to the first constant voltage supply circuit and a second terminal connected to the second output terminal,

a second NMOS transistor having a gate receiving the input logical signal, a first terminal connected to the second constant voltage supply circuit and a second terminal connected to the second output terminal,

a third NMOS transistor having a gate receiving the input logical signal, a first terminal connected to the first constant voltage supply circuit and a second terminal connected to the first output terminal, and

a fourth NMOS transistor having a gate connected to the output of the inverter, a first terminal connected to the second constant voltage supply circuit and a second terminal connected to the first output terminal.

11. The output circuit according to claim 10, wherein said output logic formation circuit further comprises a fifth NMOS transistor having a gate connected to a power supply, a first terminal connected to the first output terminal and a second terminal connected to the second output terminal.

12. The output circuit according to claim 1, wherein said output logic formation circuit turns the first and second output terminal to high impedance state when receiving a three state control signal.

13. The output circuit according to claim 12, wherein said output logic formation circuit comprises:

a first inverter having an input receiving the input logical signal and an output;

a second inverter having an input receiving the three state control signal and an output;

a first NAND gate having a first input receiving the input logical signal, a second input receiving the three state control signal and an output;

a second NAND gate having a first input receiving the input logical signal, a second input connected to the output of said second inverter and an output;

a first NOR gate having a first input connected to the output of said first inverter, a second input connected to the output of said second inverter and an output;

a second NOR gate having a first input connected to the output of said first inverter, a second input receiving the three state control signal and an output;

a first NMOS transistor having a gate connected to the output of said first NOR gate, a source connected to the first constant voltage supply circuit and a drain connected to the second output terminal,

a first PMOS transistor having a gate connected to the output of said second NAND gate, a source connected to the second constant voltage supply circuit and a drain connected to the second output terminal,

a second NMOS transistor having a gate connected to the output of said second NOR gate, a source connected to the first constant voltage supply circuit and a drain connected to the first output terminal, and

a second PMOS transistor having a gate connected to the output of said first NAND gate, a source connected to the second constant voltage supply circuit and a drain connected to the first output terminal.

14. An interface circuit, comprising:

an input circuit;

a first transmission line having one end connected to said input circuit;

a second transmission line having one end connected to said input circuit;

a terminal potential node supplying a terminating potential;

a first terminating resistor connected between said first transmission line and said terminating potential node;

a second terminating resistor connected between said second transmission line and said terminating potential node; and

an output circuit, including;

an input terminal receiving an input logical signal,

a first output terminal connected to said first transmission line for outputting a first output logical signal having a logic corresponding to a logic of the input logical signal,

a second output terminal connected to said first transmission line for outputting a second output logical signal having a logic corresponding to an inverted logic of the input logical signal,

a first constant voltage supply circuit generating a first voltage level,

a second constant voltage supply circuit generating a second voltage level, and

an output logic formation circuit connected to said first and second constant voltage supply circuits, said output logic formation circuit generating the first and second output logical signals having either the first voltage level or second voltage level based on the logic of the input logical signal, said output logic formation circuit including;

an inverter having an input receiving the input logical signal and an output,

a first NMOS transistor having a gate receiving the input logical signal, a source connected to said first constant voltage supply circuit and a drain connected to said second output terminal,

a first PMOS transistor having a gate receiving the input logical signal, a source connected to said second constant voltage supply circuit and a drain connected to said second output terminal,

a second NMOS transistor having a gate connected to the output of said inverter, a source connected to said first constant voltage supply circuit and a drain connected to said first output terminal, and

a second PMOS transistor having a gate connected to the output of said inverter, a source connected to said second constant voltage supply circuit and a drain connected to said first output terminal.

15. The interface circuit according to claim 14, wherein said first and second constant voltage supply circuits comprise a voltage drop circuit having an output node, the voltage drop circuit decreasing a voltage supplied from a voltage source to generate the first and second voltage levels to the output node thereof.

16. The interface circuit according to claim 15, wherein the voltage drop circuit is a transistor having a gate, a source connected to the voltage source and a drain connected to the output node of the voltage drop circuit.

17. The interface circuit according to claim 15, wherein said first and second constant voltage supply circuits further comprise a control circuit controlling the voltage drop circuit based on a voltage level on the output node of the voltage drop circuit.

18. The output circuit according to claim 17, wherein the control circuit turns to a power down mode in response to a power down signal received thereto.

19. The output circuit according to claim 17, wherein the control circuit is a differential amplifier having a first input connected to the output node of the voltage drop circuit, a second input receiving a referential potential and an output connected to the voltage drop circuit.

20. An input circuit, comprising:

a pair of first differential amplification circuits which is provided with first and second differential amplification circuits to which a first input terminal is connected in common, second input terminals are connected in common and output terminals are connected in common; and

a first inverting circuit in which an input terminal connects with said output terminals.

21. An input circuit, comprising:

a pair of first and second differential amplification circuits which is provided with first and second differential amplification circuits, respectively, to which first input terminals are connected in common, second input terminals are connected in common and output terminals are connected in common;

a first common input terminal to which said first input terminals of a pair of said first differential amplification circuits and said first input terminals of a pair of said second differential amplification circuits are connected in common;

a second common input terminal to which said second input terminals of a pair of said first differential amplification circuits and said first input terminals of a pair of said second differential amplification circuits are connected in common;

a third differential amplification circuit in which the first input terminal is connected to said output terminals of a pair of said first differential amplification circuits and the second input terminal is connected to the common output terminal of a pair of said second differential circuits; and

a first inverting circuit in which an input terminal is connected to the output terminal of said third differential amplification circuit.

22. The input circuit according to claim 21, further comprising a second inverting circuit in which the input circuit is connected to the output terminal of said first inverting circuit.

23. The input circuit according to claim 21, further comprising a switching means which switches the stop/operation with a pair of said first differential amplification circuits, a pair of said second differential amplification circuits and said third differential amplification circuit.

24. The input circuit according to claim 21, wherein said switching means is also provided with the function of controlling the operation of said first inverting circuit.

25. The input circuit according to claim 21, wherein said switching means is also provided with comprises the function of controlling the operation of said second inverting circuit.

26. The input circuit according to claim 21, wherein said switching means comprises an external input terminal, a group of inverted logic circuit terminals, a group of non-inverted logic output terminals, a third inverting circuit in which an output terminal is connected to a group of said non-inverted logic output terminals and a fourth inverting circuit in which an output terminal is connected to said external input terminal and the output terminal is connected to a group of said inverted logic output terminals and the input terminal of the third inverting circuit.