Fast voltage level shifter circuit
First Claim
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1. A circuit comprising:
- a switch configured to produce an output voltage on an output terminal in response to an input voltage applied to an input terminal and in response to a current drawn through the switch;
a current mirror circuit having a control input and configured to draw the current through the switch in response to the control input; and
a charge storage circuit connected to the input terminal and to the control input of the current mirror circuit, wherein the charge storage circuit is configured to discharge a stored charge into the control input in response to the input voltage.
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Abstract
A voltage level shifting circuit with an input terminal and an output terminal. The level shifting circuit has a field-effect transistor (FET) switch with a gate attached to the input terminal, a drain attached to the output terminal and a source attached to a current changing mechanism. The current changing mechanism includes a current mirror circuit having an output connected between the source and an electrical earth. The output of the current mirror circuit is preferably adapted to change a current flowing between the drain and the source based on an input voltage applied to the gate.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A circuit comprising:
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a switch configured to produce an output voltage on an output terminal in response to an input voltage applied to an input terminal and in response to a current drawn through the switch; a current mirror circuit having a control input and configured to draw the current through the switch in response to the control input; and a charge storage circuit connected to the input terminal and to the control input of the current mirror circuit, wherein the charge storage circuit is configured to discharge a stored charge into the control input in response to the input voltage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method comprising:
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applying an input voltage to an input terminal of a circuit, wherein the circuit comprises; a switch configured to cause an output voltage to be produced on an output terminal in response to the input voltage applied to the input terminal and in response to a current drawn through the switch; a current mirror circuit having a control input and configured to draw the current through the switch in response to the control input; and a charge storage circuit connected to the input terminal and to the control input of the current mirror circuit, wherein the charge storage circuit is configured to discharge a stored charge into the control input in response to the input voltage; and varying the input voltage to cause the charge storage circuit to discharge the stored charge into the control input of the current mirror circuit and thereby produce the output voltage. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A circuit comprising:
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an input terminal; an output terminal; a level shifting circuit configured to produce an output voltage at the output terminal responsive to an input voltage at the input terminal; a current mirror circuit having a control input and configured to draw current through the level shifting circuit in response to the control input to thereby produce the output voltage; and a charge storage circuit connected to the input terminal and to the control input of the current mirror circuit, wherein the charge storage circuit is configured to discharge a stored charge into the control input in response to the input voltage. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification