Input/output cell for integrated circuits

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10008985-B2
Application number	US-201715633375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2017
Priority date	Jul 15, 2016
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

An integrated circuit and method are provided. The integrated circuit comprises: a digital core configured to output a first voltage signal; and a first input/output cell; wherein the first input/output cell is configured to convert the first voltage signal to a first current signal and provide the first current signal to circuitry external to the integrated circuit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An integrated circuit comprising:
a digital core configured to output a first voltage signal; and
a first input/output cell;
a second input/output cell; and
wherein the first input/output cell is configured to convert the first voltage signal to a first current signal and provide the first current signal to circuitry external to the integrated circuit, wherein the second input/output cell configured to convert the first voltage signal to a second voltage signal and provide the second voltage signal to circuitry external to the integrated circuit.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage corresponds to a supply voltage of the integrated circuit and the second voltage corresponds to the supply voltage of the external circuitry.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first current signal is provided to a first circuit external to the integrated circuit, the first circuit being configured to convert the first current into a third voltage.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , where the integrated circuit is in a first voltage domain and the circuitry external to the integrated circuit is in a second voltage domain.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first input/output cell is configure to operate in low voltage conditions.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 3 , wherein the first circuit comprises a transimpedance amplifier.

7. A system comprising:
the integrated circuit of claim 1 ; and
a first circuit external to the integrated circuit configured to convert the first current into a voltage;
wherein the integrated circuit is in a first voltage domain and the circuitry external to the integrated circuit is in a second voltage domain.

8. A method comprising:
providing a first output voltage signal from a digital core to a first input/output cell;
converting the first output voltage signal to a first current signal by the first input/output cell;
providing the first current signal to circuitry external to the integrated circuit;
providing the first output voltage signal from the digital core to a second input/output cell;
converting the first output voltage signal to a second output voltage signal; and
providing the second output voltage signal to circuitry external to the integrated circuit.

Assignees

• Nxp Bv

Inventors

• Van Den Berg Henricus Hubertus
• Hallie Michiel Alexander
• Van Der Heiden Joannes Theodorus

Classifications

• H03K19/018521 Primary

  of complementary type, e.g. CMOS · CPC title

• H02M1/082

  with digital control · CPC title

• H03F3/50

  Amplifiers in which input is applied to, or output is derived from, an impedance common to input and output circuits of the amplifying element, e.g. cathode follower · CPC title

• H03F1/0255 Primary

  by using a signal derived from the output signal · CPC title

• G01R31/31924

  Voltage or current aspects, e.g. driver, receiver · CPC title