Three level pre-buffer voltage level shifting circuit and method

摘要

A buffer circuit utilizes a single gate oxide pre-buffer voltage level shifting circuit on, for example, an output buffer of an I/O pad, to accommodate different I/O pad supply voltages while maintaining normal operating voltages (degradation levels) across boundaries of single gate oxide devices that form the buffer. The single gate oxide output buffer can operate at several different supply voltages. A pre-buffer voltage level shifting circuit includes a multi-supply voltage level shifting circuit having signal gate oxide devices coupled to produce a pre-buffer output signal to an output buffer. A single gate oxide cross coupled active load is coupled to the multi-supply voltage level shifting circuit and provides suitable drive voltages to at least one of cascaded buffer transistors.