Patent ID: 7005886

Claim:
A controlled slew rate output driver which drives an output signal onto a node of a circuit, said output driver comprising: a plurality of sequentially ordered zip legs, each comprising: a zip pull-up circuit responsive to both a first zip drive signal and a second zip drive signal which switchably electrically connects said node to a first voltage source when both said first zip drive signal and said second zip drive signal are in a first voltage state and electrically isolates said node from said first voltage source when one or both of said first zip drive signal and said second zip drive signal are in a second voltage state, and a zip pull-down circuit responsive to both said first zip drive signal and said second zip drive signal which switchably electrically connects said node to said second voltage source when both said first zip drive signal and said second zip drive signal are in said second voltage state and electrically isolates said node from said second voltage source when one or both of said first zip drive signal and said second zip drive signal are in said first voltage state, wherein said second zip drive signal of said respective zip leg is a delayed version of said respective first zip drive signal of said corresponding zip leg, and wherein said first zip drive signal of said respective zip leg is a delayed version of said second zip drive signal of said zip leg immediately previous to said respective zip leg in said plurality of sequentially ordered zip legs if said previous zip leg exists; and zero or more drive legs, each comprising: a drive pull-up circuit which switchably electrically connects said node to said first voltage source when each of said respective zip pull-up circuits of all of said zip drive legs are activated to electrically connect said node to said first voltage source and electrically isolates said node from said first voltage source when any of said respective zip pull-up circuits of all of said zip drive legs are deactivated to electrically isolate said node from said first voltage source, and a drive pull-down circuit which switchably electrically connects said node to said second voltage source when each of said respective zip pull-down circuits of all of said zip drive legs are activated to electrically connect said node to said second voltage source and electrically isolates said node from said second voltage source when any of said respective zip pull-down circuits of all of said zip drive legs are deactivated to electrically isolate said node from said second voltage source.