US Patent Application 17828797. FLOATING HIGH-VOLTAGE LEVEL TRANSLATOR WITH ADAPTIVE BYPASS CIRCUIT simplified abstract

FLOATING HIGH-VOLTAGE LEVEL TRANSLATOR WITH ADAPTIVE BYPASS CIRCUIT

Organization Name

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

Inventor(s)

Tuli Luthuli Dake of Plano TX (US)

Satish Kumar Vemuri of Raleigh NC (US)

FLOATING HIGH-VOLTAGE LEVEL TRANSLATOR WITH ADAPTIVE BYPASS CIRCUIT - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17828797 titled 'FLOATING HIGH-VOLTAGE LEVEL TRANSLATOR WITH ADAPTIVE BYPASS CIRCUIT

Simplified Explanation

- The patent application describes techniques to improve floating level translators. - These translators are used to convert signals from a low-voltage domain to a high-voltage domain. - The techniques involve bypassing the protection elements of the translator to increase headroom. - A bypass circuit is added across the protection elements. - The bypass circuit is activated during low-voltage operation to provide a lower loss path. - The bypass circuit disengages when the high-voltage reference rail exceeds a threshold. - The bypass circuit can be implemented using back-to-back high-voltage FETs. - No additional signals are needed to control the low-voltage capability of the translator.

Original Abstract Submitted

Techniques are described herein to enhance capability of floating level translators. For example, increased headroom is accomplished by adaptively bypassing the protection elements of the voltage level translator. In an example, a floating level translator can translate an input signal from a low-voltage domain to a high-voltage domain. A bypass circuit is coupled across the protection elements. The bypass circuit selectively engages during low-voltage operation (e.g., thereby providing a lower loss path relative to loss caused by the high-voltage protection elements and thus increasing the headroom swing), and disengages responsive to the high-voltage reference rail of the high-voltage domain exceeding a threshold or otherwise being high enough (e.g., greater than the potential of the low-voltage domain power rail). The bypass circuit can be implemented in a relatively low-complexity manner (e.g., back-to-back high-voltage FETs) without additional signals to control low-voltage capability.