Patent ID: 6952120
Filing Date: 2005-10-04
Classification: H03K

Abstract:
1. A driver circuit comprising: an output interface; a pre-drive system coupled to a first supply voltage, to ground, to a first control signal and to a second control signal, and having a fall time control function; a discharge system, coupled to the pre-drive system at a first node and a second node, coupled to the output interface, and having a switching structure and a discharge structure; an output structure, coupled to a second supply voltage, to the pre-drive system at the first node, to the discharge system, and to the output interface; wherein the driver circuit is adapted to, responsive to assertion of the first control signal, deactivate the discharge system, activate the output structure and supply an output drive signal to the output interface, and, responsive to assertion of the second control signal, activate the discharge system, deactivate the output structure and discharge the output structure, through the output interface, at a rate determined by the fall time control function.