Patent ID: 6927608

Claim:
A low power low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) driver deriving operational power from a common power supply node, the driver comprising: a load current source operably coupled to provide a load current; a first input transistor having a gate, a drain, and a source, wherein the source of the first input transistor is coupled to the load current source, and wherein the gate of the first input transistor is operably coupled to receive a first leg of a differential input signal; a second input transistor having a gate, a drain, and a source, wherein the source of the second input transistor is coupled to the load current source, and wherein the gate of the second input transistor is operably coupled to receive a second leg of the differential input signal, wherein the drains of the first and second input transistors provide an output of the low power LVDS driver; a first switchable current source operably coupled to the drain of the first input transistor and directly coupled to the common power supply node, wherein, when enabled, the first switchable current source provides a first current to the drain of the second input transistor via at least one of a source termination and a load; a second switchable current source operably coupled to the drain of the second input transistor and directly coupled to the common power supply node, wherein, when enabled, the second switchable current source provides a second current to the drain of the first input transistor via the at least one of the source termination and the load; and a switchable current source control module operably coupled to selectively enable the first and second switchable current sources based on states of the first and second legs of the differential input signal.