Patent ID: 7791383

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: a terminal to which an input signal is supplied externally to the device in an input mode and from which an output signal is produced externally from the device in an output mode; a first input circuit having a first input node and activated in the input mode to respond to the input signal; a second input circuit having a second input node and activated in the input mode to respond to the input signal when the first input circuit is deactivated; a first resistor element connected between the terminal and the first input node of the first input circuit; a second resistor element connected between the terminal and the second input node of the second input circuit; a power line; a reference potential line; and an output circuit connected to the terminal and activated in the output mode to drive the terminal to produce the output signal, the output circuit comprising an output transistor that includes a source-drain path connected between the terminal and the reference potential line, the output transistor further including a gate that is free from a continuous connection to each of the power line and the reference potential line so that the output transistor is turned ON and OFF to send the output signal to the terminal.