Multi-channel, bi-directional, user-programmable, radiation-hardened, high-speed voltage level converter.

Expandability and upgrade abilities of commercial and military command and control electronic systems are extremely important to minimize cost and efforts required for integration of novel components and subsystems into existing infrastructures. Voltage level converters are the key components for integration of subsystems operating from different voltage baselines. Their importance increases with migration of modern electronics to lower supply voltages in attempts to reduce the power consumption. Though approaches to interconnection of different input/output interfaces are well developed, the design of a universal level converter presents a great challenge due to poor compatibility of these interfaces not only in voltage levels but also in termination schemes, operational speed and other major parameters. Spacecraft and military applications require radiation-hardened devices, which further complicates the task by limiting the applicable technological and schematic decisions. We propose a novel concept of single-chip universal electronic voltage level converter based on proprietary level shifting technique and reconfigurable input/output buffers controlled by a special tri-level switching logic, implemented in a radiation-hardened technological process. The unique combination of these features leads to realization of user-programmable, low-power, bi-directional, radiation-hardened universal converter with speed characteristics defined only by activated input/output devices.