Importance

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Abstract

A circuit for shifting a signal from a first voltage level referenced to a first voltage reference, to a second voltage level referenced to a second voltage reference, while reducing the gate to source voltages on the output transistors. In one embodiment, the circuit includes six switches. A first switch receives the signal; a second switch receives an inverted representation of the signal; a third switch receives the output of the first switch; a fourth switch receives the output of the second switch; a fifth switch, referenced to the second voltage reference, has an input coupled with the output of the first switch and a control coupled with the output of the fourth switch; and a sixth switch, referenced to the second voltage reference, has an input coupled with the output of the second switch and has a control coupled with the output of the third switch. In one embodiment, when the third switch and the fourth switch are on, the signal is shifted to the second voltage level measured between the input of the fifth switch and the second voltage reference. The third and fourth switches act to prevent the gate to source voltage on the fifth and sixth switches from reaching a high voltage level, such as 10 volts.

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First Claim