Low-voltage to high-voltage level translation using capacitive coupling
First Claim
1. A voltage level translator circuit, comprising:
- a digital logic circuit having a digital logic signal;
first and second high-voltage capacitors, each having a first and second connection, wherein one of the first and second connections is electrically coupled to the digital logic signal;
a cross-coupled inverter pair having the output of at least one inverter of the pair electrically coupled to the other connection of at least one of the first and second high-voltage capacitors;
a sensing circuit configured to sense the state of the cross-coupled inverter pair and to produce an output signal having a voltage level higher than the digital logic signal;
wherein the second capacitor has the first connection electrically coupled to the digital logic signal and the second connection electrically coupled to an output of the other of the at least one inverter of the pair;
wherein the electrical coupling of the digital logic signal to the first connection of the second capacitor includes logic inversion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A voltage level translator circuit has a digital logic circuit having a digital logic signal, at least one high-voltage capacitor having a first and second connection, wherein one of the first and second connections is electrically coupled to the digital logic signal, and a cross-coupled inverter pair having, the output of at least one inverter of the pair electrically coupled to the other connection of the at least one high-voltage capacitor. A high-voltage driving circuit has two low-voltage input signals, two high-voltage output signals, a first signal being a high-side drive signal and a second signal being a low-side drive signal, two level translators, a first level translator corresponding to the high-side drive signal, and a second level translator corresponding to the low-side drive signal, the level translators including a digital logic circuit having a digital logic signal, at least one high-voltage capacitor having a first and second connection, wherein one of the first and second connections is electrically coupled to the digital logic signal, and a cross-coupled inverter pair having, the output of at least one inverter of the pair electrically coupled to the other connection of the at least one high-voltage capacitor.
26 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A voltage level translator circuit, comprising:
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a digital logic circuit having a digital logic signal; first and second high-voltage capacitors, each having a first and second connection, wherein one of the first and second connections is electrically coupled to the digital logic signal; a cross-coupled inverter pair having the output of at least one inverter of the pair electrically coupled to the other connection of at least one of the first and second high-voltage capacitors; a sensing circuit configured to sense the state of the cross-coupled inverter pair and to produce an output signal having a voltage level higher than the digital logic signal; wherein the second capacitor has the first connection electrically coupled to the digital logic signal and the second connection electrically coupled to an output of the other of the at least one inverter of the pair; wherein the electrical coupling of the digital logic signal to the first connection of the second capacitor includes logic inversion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A high-voltage driving circuit, comprising:
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two low-voltage input signals; two high-voltage output signals, a first signal being a high-side drive signal and a second signal being a low-side drive signal; two level translators, a first level translator generating the high-side drive signal, and a second level translator generating the low-side drive signal, the level translators comprising; a digital logic circuit having a digital logic signal; at least one high-voltage capacitor having a first and second connection, wherein one of the first and second connections is electrically coupled to the digital logic signal; and a cross-coupled inverter pair having the output of at least one inverter of the pair electrically coupled to the other connection of the at least one high-voltage capacitor. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification