Patent ID: 7453676

Claim:
An electrostatic discharge protection circuit comprising: an RC circuit connected to a first voltage rail to produce an RC-based signal in response to an electrostatic discharge on said first voltage rail; a clamping transistor connected between said first voltage rail and a second voltage rail; and a control circuit connected between said RC circuit and said clamping transistor, said control circuit including an enable switch, a disable switch and a latch having first and second terminals, said enable switch being connected to said first voltage rail and said first terminal of said latch, said disable switch being connected to said first voltage rail and said second terminal of said latch, said first terminal of said latch also being connected to said clamping transistor, said enable switch and said disable switch of said control circuit being configured to selectively connect one of said first and second terminals of said latch to said first voltage rail in response to said RC-based signal from said RC circuit to selectively activate said clamping transistor to discharge said electrostatic discharge on said first voltage rail to said second voltage rail.