Silicon Laboratories Inc.
High output swing high voltage tolerant bus driver

Abstract:

A driver circuit includes two pull-up portions coupled respectively between VDD and first and second driver output nodes and two pull-down sections coupled respectively between ground and third and fourth driver output nodes. The driver circuit is configurable as an RS485 driver or a CAN driver. The active diodes in the pull-up sections are turned off when necessary to prevent unwanted reverse currents between the first and second output nodes and VDD. The active diodes in the pull-down sections are turned off when necessary to prevent unwanted reverse current between ground and the third and fourth output nodes.