Patent ID: 7715159

Claim:
An electro-static discharge protection circuit comprising: a first input terminal and a second input terminal; a first output terminal coupled to the first input terminal, and a second output terminal coupled to the second input terminal; a first circuit branch connected between the first input terminal and the second input terminal, said first circuit branch including at least one first Zener diode having a cathode terminal and an anode terminal; and a second circuit branch connected between the first output terminal and the second output terminal, wherein the first circuit branch comprises a load element coupled in series between the second input terminal and the at least one first Zener diode and wherein the second circuit branch includes a first transistor having a control terminal adapted to receive a transistor control voltage, the first transistor being coupled to the load element so as to receive from the load element the transistor control voltage, and wherein the second circuit branch includes a second transistor, said second transistor being connected in diode-configuration in series to the first transistor.