Patent ID: 7061291

Claim:
A slew rate control circuit, comprising: an input voltage node; an output voltage node coupleable to a load; a first circuit node; a first transistor having a gate, a source, and a drain, the drain of the first transistor being coupled to the output voltage node, the source of the first transistor being coupleable to a first voltage source, wherein the first transistor is biased to operate within its active operating region; a feedback resistor having first and second terminals coupled to the output voltage node and the first circuit node, respectively, the feedback resistor being connected between the gate and the drain of the first transistor; and an input resistor having first and second terminals coupled to the second terminal of the feedback resistor and the input voltage node, respectively, wherein the control circuit is operative to provide a ramped down voltage signal at the output voltage node that linearly tracks a first ramped up voltage signal applied to the input voltage node, wherein the ramped down voltage signal provided at the output voltage node ramps down from 0 volts to a first negative voltage level, and wherein the first voltage source is operative to provide a voltage level equal to the first negative voltage level.