Patent ID: 8890606

Claim:
A voltage switching circuitry comprising: at least one switching arrangement with a given number, N, of switches in series between a first terminal for receiving a first voltage at a first voltage level and a second terminal for receiving a second voltage at a second voltage level, the first voltage level being higher than the second voltage level, and N being at least equal to 2; a voltage-by-N divider having N−1 output taps, arranged to divide the first voltage by N to a scaled down version of the first voltage having a voltage level below voltage max ratings of the switches, wherein the N−1 output taps of the divider are arranged to respectively output N−1 third voltages having respective levels staged below the first voltage level; N−1 max voltage generators for generating N−1 fourth voltages, respectively equal to the maximum of the second supply voltage and of each of the N−1 third voltages; and a switch control unit for generating N control signals using the N−1 fourth voltages, said N control signals having respective voltage levels staged between the first voltage level and the second voltage level, and each of said N control signals controlling one of the switches of the switching arrangement, respectively.