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ML65541/ML65L541

FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION

The ML65541 and ML65L541 are very high speed non-

inverting buffer/line drivers with three-state outputs which

are ideally suited for bus-oriented applications. They

provide a low propagation delay by using an analog

design approach (a high speed unity gain buffer), as

compared to conventional digital approaches. The

ML65541 and ML65L541 follow the pinout and

functionality of the industry standard FCT541 series of

buffer/line drivers and are intended to replace them in

designs where the propagation delay is a critical part of

the system design considerations. The ML65541 and

ML65L541 are capable of driving load capacitances

several times larger than their input capacitance. They are

configured so that the Ai inputs go to the Bi outputs when

enabled by OE1/OE2.

These unity gain analog buffers achieve low propagation

delays by having the output follow the input with a small

offset. The output rise and fall times will closely match

those of the input waveform. All inputs and outputs have

Schottky clamp diodes to handle undershoot or overshoot

noise suppression in unterminated applications. All

outputs have ground bounce suppression (typically

< 400mV), high drive output capability with almost

immediate response to the input signal, and low

output skew.

often interpreted as a measure of its ability to sink current

in a dynamic sense. This may be true for CMOS buffer/

line drivers, but it is not true for the ML65541 and

ML65L541. This is because their sink and source current

capability depends on the voltage difference between the

output and the input. The ML65541 can sink or source

more than 100mA to a load when the load is switching

due to the fact that during the transition, the difference

significant as a DC specification, and is 25mA.

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION

Until now, buffer/line drivers have been implemented in

CMOS logic and made to be TTL compatible by sizing the

input devices appropriately. In order to buffer large

capacitances with CMOS logic, it is necessary to cascade

an even number of inverters, each successive inverter

larger than the preceding, eventually leading to an inverter

that will drive the required load capacitance at the

required frequency. Each inverter stage represents an

additional delay in the gating process because in order for

a single gate to switch, the input must slew more than half

of the supply voltage. The best of these CMOS buffers has

managed to drive a 50pF load capacitance with a delay of

3.2ns. Micro Linear has produced an octal buffer/line

driver with a delay less than 1.7ns by using a unique

circuit architecture that does not require cascaded logic

gates. The ML65541 uses a feedback technique to

produce an output that follows the input. If the output

voltage is not close to the input, then the feedback

circuitry will source or sink enough current to the load

capacitance to correct the discrepancy.

Figure 5. One buffer cell of the ML65541

Q1

IN

OUT

Q2

Q7

R2

R6

R5

GND

R4

Q4

Q3

R1

R8

R3

Q5

Q6

R7

VCC