2

2.1

The TTL Inverter

Circuit Structure

The circuit diagram of the Transistor Transistor Logic inverter is shown

in Fig. 2.1. This circuit overcomes the limitations of the single
transistor inverter circuit. Some of the notable features of the circuit
structure of the TTL Logic family are as follows:
(i) An input transistor, T1, which performs a current steering function,
can be thought of as a back-to-back diode arrangement.
VCC

RB

RB

T1
Fig. 2.2

Equivalent of Input Current-Steering Transistor

The transistor can operate in either forward or reverse mode to

steer current to or from T2 . Since it has a forward current gain, it

provides a higher discharge current to discharge the base of T2

when turning it off.

(ii) The output transistor pair, T3 and T4 shown in Fig. 2.3 and referred
to as a totem-pole output, can actively source or sink current to or
from capacitive loads and allows the output voltage to be defined
independently of the load connected to the gate. Resistor, R 3 ,
serves to limit current. Under steady-state conditions, only one
transistor is ON at a time.

T4 OFF

RL

T4 ON

T3 OFF

T3 ON

RL

Fig. 2.3 Output Current Driving Transistors

R3

130

R1

1.6k

RB

4k

T4

Input

T2

T1

Output
T3

Vi

VO

T1 SAT
T2 OFF
T3 OFF
T4 ON

VOH MIN

VO

R2

1k

(2.86V)

T1 SAT
T2 ON
T3 OFF
T4 ON
T1 SAT
T2 ON
T3 ON
T4 ONOFF

T1 SATREV ON
T2 SAT
T3 SAT
T4 OFF

VOL MAX

(0.2V)

0.5V

VIL MAX

VIH MIN

(1.2V)

(1.4V)

Vi

Fig. 2.1 Circuit Diagram & Transfer Characteristic of a TTL Inverter

(iii) The diode, D, serves to increase the effective VBE of T4 which

allows T4 to be turned OFF before T3 turns ON fully. This prevents
large surge currents from flowing when both transistors conduct
during transitions between logic states. The disadvantage is that
the high logic voltage is reduced by an amount of the diode drop
as shown in Fig. 2.4.

T4
D

T3

Fig. 2.4

VO

Use of Diode in Totem-Pole Output

(iii) Finally, T2 is a phase splitter driving transistor to drive the

output stage. It allows the logic condition to be phase-splitted
in opposite directions so that the output transistors can be
driven in anti-phase. This allows T3 to be ON when T4 is OFF
and vice versa as shown in Fig. 2.5.

RC
Vi = LO T2 OFF VO 1 = HI VO 2 = LO

VO1
Vi = HI T2 ON

T2

VO 1 = LO VO 2 = HI

VO2

RE

Figure 2.5 The Phase Splitting Stage

2.2

Logical Operation

The logical functioning of the circuit can be established by determining

the state of conduction of each transistor in turn from input to output
for all possible combinations of input states. Transistors can be taken
as either ON or OFF. Note that the input transistor, T1, may conduct in
either forward or reverse mode. Drawing up a table of conduction
states accordingly with reference to Fig. 2.1 gives:
INPUT

T1

T2

T3

T4

OUPUT

LO

ONFOR

OFF

OFF

ONCUT-IN

ONCUT-IN

HI

HI

ONREV

ON

ON

OFF

OFF

LO

LO in action

2.3

HI out

and

HI in

LO out

This is logic inverter

Transfer Characteristic

The transfer characteristic can be deduced by applying a slowly

increasing input voltage and determining the sequence of events
which takes place with regard to changes in the states of conduction of
each transistor and the critical points at which the onset of these
changes occur. Consider the circuit and transfer characteristic of Fig.
2.1.
Point A
With the input LO and the base current supplied to T1, this transistor
can conduct in the forward mode. Since the only source of collector
current is the leakage of T2 then T1 is driven into saturation. This
ensures that T2 is OFF which, in turn, means that T3 is OFF. While there
is no load present, there are leakage currents flowing in the output
stage which allow the transistor T4 and the diode D to be barely
conducting at the point of cut-in.

VO = VCC VBE 4 CUT IN VD CUT IN

VO = 5 0.6 0.4 = 4V
Point A : Vi = 0V, VO = 4V

Point B
As the input voltage is slowly increased, the above condition prevails
until, with T1 ON in saturation, the voltage at the base of T2 rises to
reach the point of conduction. Then:

Vi = VBE 2 CUT IN VCE 1 SAT = 0.6 0.1 = 0.5V

Point B : Vi = 0.5V

VO = 4V

Point C
As the input voltage is further increased, T2 becomes more conducting,
turning fully ON. Base current to T2 is supplied by the forward biased
base-collector junction of T1 which is still in saturation (i.e both
junctions of T1 are forward biased). Eventually, T3 reaches the point of
conduction. This happens when:

Vi = VBE 2 ON + VBE 3 CUT IN VCE 1 SAT

Vi = 0.7 + 0.6 0.1 = 1.2V
Note that with transistor T3 at cut-in, VBE 3 = 0.6V which means that
the current through R2 is 0.6V/1k = 0.6mA. With operation in the
linear active region, the collector current in T2 is F IE2 0.97 0.6 =
0.58mA. The voltage drop across R1 is then VR1 = 0.58mA 1.6 k =
0.94V. Under this condition the voltage drop across T2 is:

VCE 2 = VCC VR1 VR2

VCE 2 = 5 0.94 0.6 = 3.46V
This confirms that T2 is still operating in the forward active mode.
With T3 beginning to conduct there is a conduction path for current
through T4 and the diode, D, which then turns fully ON. In this case:

VO = VCC VR1 VBE 4 ON VD ON

VO = 5 0.94 0.7 0.5 = 2.86V
Point C :

Vi = 1.2V VO = 2.86V

Point D
As the input voltage is further increased, T2 conducts more heavily,
eventually saturating. T3 also conducts more heavily and eventually
reaches the point of saturation. As T2 becomes more conducting, its
collector current increases. This in turn increases the voltage drop
across R1 which in turn means that the voltage across T2, i.e. VCE2,
decreases. This falls below the requirement for conduction in T4 and
the diode, D, so that both of these turn OFF prior to the saturation of
T3.
When T3 reaches the edge of saturation:

Vi = VBE 2 SAT + VBE 3 ON VCE 1SAT

Vi = 0.8 + 0.7 0.1 = 1.4V
VO = VCE 3 SAT 0.2V
Point D : Vi = 1.4V,

VO = 0.2V

2.4 Noise Margins

Using points C and D on the transfer characteristic in Fig. 2.1 to
identify the critical points, we have:

ViL MAX = 1.2V

VOL MAX = 0.2V

NML = 1.0V

ViHMIN = 1.4V

VOHMIN = 2.8V

NMH = 1.4V

The manufacturers specification guarantees:

ViL MAX = 0.8V

VOL MAX = 0.4V

NML = 0.4V

ViHMIN = 2.0V

VOHMIN = 2.4V

NMH = 0.4V