Patent ID: 8072722

Claim:
An integrated circuit comprising: a transmit circuit comprising an RF circuit for processing an RF signal and a transmitter unit for transmitting the RF signal; and an electrostatic discharge protection circuit coupled to an output terminal of the RF circuit, wherein the electrostatic discharge protection circuit comprises a cascode transistor, a snapback transistor, a cascode switch circuit, and a snapback switch circuit, wherein a drain terminal of the cascode transistor is coupled to the output terminal of the RF circuit, wherein a source terminal of the cascode transistor is coupled to a drain terminal of the snapback transistor, and a source terminal of the snapback transistor is coupled to ground, wherein a gate terminal of the cascode transistor is coupled to the cascode switch circuit and a gate terminal of the snapback transistor is coupled to the snapback switch circuit; wherein the cascode switch circuit and the snapback switch circuit are operable to provide a low impedance path to ground to the gate terminals of the cascode transistor and snapback transistor, respectively, to disable the electrostatic discharge protection circuit during a normal operational mode of the integrated circuit, and are operable to provide a high impedance path to ground to the gate terminals of the cascode transistor and snapback transistor, respectively, to enable the electrostatic discharge protection circuit to ground electrostatic discharge pulses during an electrostatic discharge event.