Patent ID: 6937055

Claim:
A programmable input/output circuit on an integrated circuit chip comprising: a first plurality of transistors connected between a supply voltage and a conductive lead on said integrated circuit chip; a second plurality of transistors connected between said conductive lead and ground, wherein said second plurality of transistors comprises pull-down transistors, and wherein said second plurality of transistors includes at least one pull-down transistor which is not capable of being turned on during the operation of said input/output circuit; circuitry for turning on a first selected set of said first plurality of transistors; circuitry for turning on a second selected set of said second plurality of transistors; circuitry to allow said first selected set of said first plurality of transistors to be turned on only when a data output signal of a first value is being sent from said integrated circuit chip to an external transmission line; and circuitry to allow said second selected set of said second plurality of transistors to be turned on only when a data output signal of a second value is being sent from said integrated circuit chip to an external transmission line.