Patent ID: 11863181
Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A level-shifter circuit, comprising:
a pre-driver stage configured to receive differential signal inputs and generate differential pre-driver signal outputs corresponding to the differential signal inputs,
wherein the pre-driver stage includes,
a first resistor load (R1) and a second resistor load (R2);
wherein a first end of the first resistor load (R1) is directly connected to a diode connected MOS device that is directly connected to a ground,
wherein a first end of the second resistor load (R2) is directly connected to both the first resistor load (R1) and the diode connected MOS device;
a first transistor (MP1) having a first end coupled to a second end of the first resistor load (R1) and coupled to receive a first one of the differential signal inputs;
a second transistor (MP2) having a first end coupled to a second end of the second resistor load (R2) and coupled to receive a second one of the differential signal inputs; and
wherein a second end of the first transistor (MP1) is coupled to both a second end of the second transistor (MP2) and a PMOS transistor that is coupled to a supply voltage;

a first output stage configured to directly receive both of the differential pre-driver outputs and generate a single-ended first stage output;
a second output stage configured to directly receive both of the differential pre-driver outputs and generate a single-ended second stage output; and
wherein the first and second stage outputs together form a differential signal output.