	US 7,492,211 B2
	Output driver equipped with a sensing resistor for measuring the current in the output driver
Hendrikus Johannes Janssen, Nijmegen (Netherlands)
Assigned to NXP B.V., Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Appl. No. 10/484,354 PCT Filed Jul. 22, 2002, PCT No. PCT/IB02/03159 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Jan. 20, 2004, PCT Pub. No. WO03/010891, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 06, 2003.
Claims priority of application No. 01202849 (EP), filed on Jul. 25, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2005/0174151 A1, Aug. 11, 2005
Int. Cl. H03K 17/687 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 327—427 [327/434; 327/436; 327/437]

4 Claims

1. An electronic circuit having an output driver for providing a driving signal, the output driver comprising:

a supply terminal;

a control circuit coupled to the supply terminal and configured and arranged to apply a voltage to a transistor control electrode;

at least two transistors, each transistor having a first main electrode, a second main electrode and a control electrode, the second main electrode of each of the at least two transistors being coupled together, and the control electrode of at least one transistor being coupled to receive a control signal from the control circuit, and the first main electrode of said at least one transistor being coupled to the supply terminal;

a sensing resistor coupled between the supply terminal and the first main electrode of said at least one transistor; and

an output terminal coupled to the second main electrode to provide the driving signal, and

a unipolar circuit between the control circuit and the control electrode of said at least one transistor to decouple the control electrode from the control circuit during a peak voltage condition across the sensing resistor, wherein the supply terminal is coupled to the control circuit during the peak voltage condition

wherein the control circuit includes an inverter having an N-type field effect transistor and a P-type field effect transistor, the unipolar circuit arranged in series with a drain of the P-type field effect transistor.