1µA, 2Mbps, Low-Voltage Level
Translators in SC70
Applications Information
Power-Supply Decoupling
To reduce ripple and the chance of transmitting incor-
rect data, decouple VCC and VL to ground with a 0.1µF
capacitor as close to the device as possible.
I2C Level Translation
The MAX3370/MAX3371 are ideal for level translation
between a low-voltage ASIC and an I2C device. The
devices’ bidirectional natures allow their use in the data
line of I2C communications. A typical application is
interfacing a low-voltage microprocessor to a 3V or 5V
D/A converter, such as the MAX517.
The I/O lines on the MAX3370/MAX3371 are bidirec-
tional, can be level-shifted up to +5.5V, and contain
internal 10kΩ pullup resistors to allow open-drain dri-
ving (see the Typical Operating Circuit).
Push-Pull vs. Open-Drain Driving
The MAX3370/MAX3371 I/O pins can be driven by a
push-pull or open-drain device. When using a push-pull
driver, the MAX3370/MAX3371 operate up to 2Mbps
with a 10pF load or 1Mbps with a 50pF load. The inter-
nal pullup resistors on the I/O pins allow use with open-
drain devices. The MAX3370/MAX3371 operate up to
500kbps with a 30pF load when driven by an open-
drain device.
Data rates higher than those listed in the Electrical
Characteristics table can be achieved. The maximum
data rate is limited to 3Mbps by the speed-up circuitry.
Unidirectional vs. Bidirectional Level Translator
The MAX3370/MAX3371 may also be used to translate
unidirectional signals without signal inversion. The
devices provide the smallest solution (SC70 package)
for unidirectional level translation without inversion.
Chip Information
TRANSISTOR COUNT: 75
PROCESS: BiCMOS
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