Input/output block with programmable hysteresis

• US 7,154,318 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Pvt Ltd. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Pvt Ltd. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Kaushik, Rajesh, Sharma, Manoj Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, MY TRANG
• Application Number:
  US10/993,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20050127970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 327205-206, 327/208, 327/210, 327 53- 54, 327 66- 67, 327/82, 327/404, 323/315, 323/316
• US Class Current: 327/206
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/3565 Bistables with hysteresis, e.g. Schmitt trigger

Abstract

An Input Output Block (IOB) provides programmable hysteresis to support multiple IO standards including a differential amplifier having one input coupled to an input signal and its second input coupled to a complementary input signal in the case of differential signalling, or to a reference voltage for the case of single-ended signalling, a pair of series coupled digital inverters coupled to one output of said differential amplifier, one or more transistors coupled in parallel with each input transistor of the differential amplifier, each transistor of each parallel coupled set being of a different size relative to the corresponding input transistor, the control terminal of each parallel coupled transistor in each set being coupled to the output of one of said series coupled inverters such that positive feedback is provided directly or indirectly through a selection switch, and hysteresis control bits that symmetrically enable or disable each said selection switch to provide a programmable level of hysteresis that is determined by the combination of selection switches that are enabled and the relative sizes of the corresponding parallel coupled transistors.

Claims

1. An improved Input Output Block (IOB) providing programmable hysteresis to support multiple IO standards comprising:

a differential amplifier having one input coupled to an input signal and its second input coupled to a complementary input signal in the case of differential signaling, or to a reference voltage for the case of single-ended signaling;

one or more transistors coupled in parallel with each input transistor of the differential amplifier, each transistor of each parallel coupled set being of a predetermined size relative to the corresponding input transistor;

the control terminal of each parallel coupled transistor in each set being coupled to the output of one of said series coupled inverters such that positive feedback is provided directly or indirectly through a selection switch; and

hysteresis control bits that symmetrically enable or disable each said selection switch to provide a programmable level of hysteresis that is determined by the combination of selection switches that are enabled and the relative sizes of the corresponding parallel coupled transistors.

2. An improved Input Output Block (IOB) providing programmable hysteresis to support multiple IO standards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number and relative sizes of the parallel coupled transistors in the two sets are selected to provide the programmable hysteresis levels corresponding to a desired range of logic families.

3. A method for providing programmable hysteresis in an Input Output Block (IOB) to support multiple IO standards, comprising:

providing a differential amplifier having one input coupled to an input signal and its second input coupled to a complementary input signal in the case of differential signaling, or to a reference voltage for the case of single-ended signaling;

coupling one or more transistors in parallel with each input transistor of the differential amplifier, each transistor of each parallel coupled set being of a predetermined size relative to the corresponding input transistor;

coupling the control terminal of each parallel coupled transistor in each set being to the output of one of said series coupled inverters such that positive feedback is provided directly or indirectly through a selection switch; and

providing hysteresis control bits that symmetrically enable or disable each said selection switch to provide a programmable level of hysteresis determined by the combination of selection switches that are enabled and the relative sizes of the corresponding parallel coupled transistors.

4. A method for providing programmable hysteresis in an Input Output Block (IOB) to support multiple IO standards as claimed in claim 3, wherein the number and relative sizes of the parallel coupled transistors in the two sets are selected to provide the programmable hysteresis levels corresponding to a desired range of logic families.

5. A programmable hysteresis circuit comprising:

a load having a power terminal coupled to a source of supply voltage, and first and second load terminals;

a current sink having a power terminal coupled to ground and a current sink terminal;

a first plurality of transistors each having a current path coupled between the first load terminal and the current sink terminal;

a second plurality of transistors each having a current path coupled between the second load terminal and the current sink terminal;

a first input terminal coupled to a gate of one of the first plurality of transistors;

a second input terminal coupled to a gate of one of the second plurality of transistors;

a first plurality of configuration terminals respectively coupled to gates of the remaining first plurality of transistors;

a second plurality of configuration terminals respectively coupled to gates of the remaining second plurality of transistors; and

an output terminal coupled to the second load terminal, a gate of one of the first plurality of transistors receiving an output signal and a gate of one of the second plurality of transistors receiving an inverted output signal.

6. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 5 wherein the load comprises a P-channel current mirror.

7. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 5 wherein the current sink comprises an N-channel transistor.

8. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 5 wherein the first plurality of transistors comprises a plurality of N-channel transistors.

9. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 5 wherein the second plurality of transistors comprises a plurality of N-channel transistors.

10. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 5 further comprising two serially-coupled inverters coupled to the output terminal.

11. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 5 wherein the hysteresis supported comprises hysteresis corresponding to at least two of the GTL, GTL+, HSTL, SSTL2, SSTL3, LVPECL, LVDS or AGP technologies.

12. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 5 wherein the transistors in the first and second plurality of transistors are sized to provide a plurality of different hysteresis values.

13. A programmable hysteresis circuit comprising:

a load having a power terminal coupled to ground, and first and second load terminals;

a current source having a power terminal coupled to a source of supply voltage and a current source terminal;

a first plurality of transistors each having a current path coupled between the first load terminal and the current source terminal;

a second plurality of transistors each having a current path coupled between the second load terminal and the current source terminal;

a first input terminal coupled to a gate of one of the first plurality of transistors;

a second input terminal coupled to a gate of one of the second plurality of transistors;

a first plurality of configuration terminals respectively coupled to gates of the remaining first plurality of transistors;

a second plurality of configuration terminals respectively coupled to gates of the remaining second plurality of transistors; and

an output terminal coupled to the second load terminal, a gate of one of the first plurality of transistors receiving an output signal and a gate of one of the second plurality of transistors receiving an inverted output signal.

14. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 13 wherein the load comprises an N-channel current mirror.

15. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 13 wherein the current source comprises a P-channel transistor.

16. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 13 wherein the first plurality of transistors comprises a plurality of P-channel transistors.

17. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 13 wherein the second plurality of transistors comprises a plurality of P-channel transistors.

18. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 13 further comprising two serially-coupled inverters coupled to the output terminal.

19. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 13 wherein the hysteresis supported comprises hysteresis corresponding to at least two of the GTL, GTL+, HSTL, SSTL2, SSTL3, LVRECL, LVDS or AGP technologies.

20. The programmable hysteresis circuit of claim 13 wherein the transistors in the first and second plurality of transistors are sized to provide a plurality of different hysteresis values.