Analog break before make system, method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9240778-B2
Application number	US-201414254875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2014
Priority date	Apr 16, 2014
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

A system and method of providing an analog make before break circuit includes a first transistor coupled in series with a second transistor, the first transistor being configured for conducting a high portion of an input signal, the second transistor being configured for conducting a low portion of the input signal. A third transistor is configured to interrupt a connection between the input signal and a first transistor input node, the third transistor having a third transistor threshold voltage between of about 90 and about 110 percent of a second transistor threshold voltage. A fourth transistor is configured to interrupt a connection between the input signal and a second transistor input node, the fourth transistor having a fourth transistor threshold voltage of between about 90 and about 110 percent of a first transistor threshold voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An analog make before break circuit comprising:
a first transistor coupled in series with a second transistor, the first transistor being configured for conducting a high portion of an input signal, the second transistor being configured for conducting a low portion of the input signal; and
a first interrupt device coupled between the input signal and a first transistor input node, the first interrupt device configured to interrupt coupling the input signal to the first transistor input node when the second transistor is in a conducting state, the first interrupt device including a first logic gate, the first logic gate being disabled until the second transistor is in a non-conducting state.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first interrupt device includes a third transistor configured to interrupt the connection between the input signal and the first logic gate includes a NOR gate and the first transistor input node includes:
coupling a third transistor input node to the second transistor input node;
coupling the input signal to a first NOR gate input node;
coupling a third transistor output node to a second NOR gate input node; and
coupling an NOR gate output node to the first transistor input node.

3. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a second interrupt device coupled between the input signal and a second transistor input node, the second interrupt device configured to interrupt coupling the input signal to the second transistor input node when the first transistor is in a conducting state, the second interrupt device including a second logic gate, the second logic gate being disabled until the first transistor is in a non-conducting state.

4. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein the second interrupt device includes a fourth transistor configured to interrupt the connection between the input signal and the second logic gate includes an AND gate and the second transistor input node includes:
coupling a fourth transistor input node to the first transistor input node;
coupling the input signal to a first AND gate input node;
coupling a fourth transistor output node to a second AND gate input node; and
coupling an AND gate output node to the second transistor input node.

5. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the second transistor threshold voltage is substantially equal to the third transistor threshold voltage.

6. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor threshold voltage is substantially equal to the second transistor threshold voltage.

7. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor threshold voltage is not equal to the second transistor threshold voltage.

8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor is coupled in series with the second transistor between a supply voltage source and a ground potential.

9. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising an analog make before break circuit output node coupled between a first transistor output node and a second transistor output node.

10. A method of providing an analog make before break comprising:
coupling an input signal from an analog make before break circuit input node an to a first transistor input node wherein a first transistor is coupled in series with a second transistor, the first transistor being configured for conducting a high portion of an input signal, the second transistor being configured for conducting a low portion of the input signal;
interrupting the coupling of the input signal to the first transistor input node before coupling the input signal to a second transistor input node through a first interrupt device coupled between the input signal and a first transistor input node, the first interrupt device configured to interrupt coupling the input signal to the first transistor input node when the second transistor is in a conducting state, the first interrupt device including a first logic gate, the first logic gate being disabled until the second transistor is in a non-conducting state;
coupling the input signal to the second transistor input node; and
interrupting the coupling of the input signal to the second transistor input node before coupling the input signal to the first transistor input node.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein coupling the input signal to the first transistor input node is interrupted by a third transistor having a third transistor threshold voltage between of about 90 and about 110 percent of a second transistor threshold voltage.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein coupling the input signal to the second transistor input node is interrupted by a fourth transistor having a fourth transistor threshold voltage between of about 90 and about 110 percent of a first transistor threshold voltage.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein interrupting the coupling of the input signal to the second transistor input node before coupling the input signal to the first transistor input node includes coupling the input signal to the second transistor input node through a second interrupt device coupled between the input signal and a second transistor input node, the second interrupt device configured to interrupt coupling the input signal to the second transistor input node when the first transistor is in a conducting state, the second interrupt device including a second logic gate, the second logic gate being disabled until the first transistor is in a non-conducting state.

14. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first interrupt device includes a third transistor having a third transistor threshold voltage between of about 90 and about 110 percent of a second transistor threshold voltage.

15. The circuit of claim 14 , wherein the third transistor configured to interrupt the connection between the input signal and the first transistor input node includes:
coupling a third transistor input node to the second transistor input node;
coupling the input signal to a first NOR gate input node;
coupling a third transistor output node to a second NOR gate input node; and
coupling an NOR gate output node to the first transistor input node.

16. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein the second interrupt device includes a fourth transistor having a fourth transistor threshold voltage of between about 90 and about 110 percent of a first transistor threshold voltage.

17. The circuit of claim 16 , wherein the fourth transistor configured to interrupt the connection between the input signal and the second transistor input node includes:
coupling a fourth transistor input node to the first transistor input node;
coupling the input signal to a first AND gate input node;
coupling a fourth transistor output node to a second AND gate input node; and
coupling an AND gate output node to the second transistor input node.

18. The circuit of claim 16 , wherein the first transistor threshold voltage is not equal to the second transistor threshold voltage.

19. The circuit of claim 4 , wherein the first transistor threshold voltage is substantially equal to the fourth transistor threshold voltage.

20. An analog make before break system comprising:
a first transistor coupled in series with a second transistor, the first transistor being configured for conducting a high portion of an input signal, the second transistor being configured for conducting a low portion of the input signal;
a first interrupt device coupled between the input signal and a first transistor input node, the first interrupt device configured to interrupt coupling the input signal to the first transistor input no

Assignees

• Sandisk Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Yuan Henry H
• Chi Steve X
• Bhuiyan Ekram H

Classifications

• H03K19/017509

  Interface arrangements · CPC title

• H03K17/08104 Primary

  in field-effect transistor switches (H03K17/0812, H03K17/0814 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03K5/1515

  non-overlapping · CPC title

• H03K17/162

  without feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit · CPC title

• H02M1/38

  Means for preventing simultaneous conduction of switches · CPC title