Patent ID: 8520348

Claim:
A differential line driver having an input node, differential output nodes for coupling to a transmission line with a characteristic impedance Z 0 , and N driver slices, at least one of the driver slices comprising: first and second power nodes for coupling to a power supply; a first common node; an impedance device having a resistance and coupled between the first power node and the first common node; first and second transistors of a first conductivity type, each transistor having a first output terminal coupled to the first common node, a second output terminal, and a control terminal, the control terminals of the first and second transistors coupling to the input node; a first resistor coupled between the second output terminal of the first transistor and a first one of the differential output nodes; a second resistor coupled between the second output terminal of the second transistor and a second one of the differential output nodes; and first and second ESD protectors coupled between at least one of the power nodes and the respective first and second ones of the differential output nodes; wherein the first and second resistors have substantially the same resistance value, and a sum of the resistances of the impedance device and first resistor is approximately equal to N Z 0 ohms, where N is an integer greater than or equal to one.