Interfacing to MM74HC High-Speed CMOS Logic

Fairchild Semiconductor
Interfacing to MM74HC April 1998

High-Speed CMOS Logic

This application note pertains to the VHC Speciality Function devices only (listed in this section of the databook).
These devices are direct pin, function and spec replacements for their MM74HC counterparts.
On many occasions it might be necessary to interface 2.4V (2.7V for LSTTL). High-speed CMOS’s logic “1” input
MM74HC logic to other types of logic or to some other con- level is 3.5V (VCC = 5.0V), so TTL is not guaranteed to pull a
trol circuitry. HC-CMOS can easily be interfaced to any other valid CMOS logic “1” level. If the TTL circuit is only driving
logic family including 74LS TTL, MM74C, CD4000 CMOS CMOS, its output voltage is usually about 3.5V. HC-CMOS
and 10,000 ECL logic. Logic interfacing can be sub-divided typically recognizes levels greater than 3V as a logic high, so
into two basic categories: interfacing circuitry operating at in most instances TTL can drive MM74HC.
the same supply voltage and interfacing to circuitry operating To see why TTL does not pull up further, Figure 1 shows a
on a different voltage. In the latter case, some logic level typical standard TTL gate’s output schematic. As the output
translation is usually required, but many easily available cir- pulls up, it can go no higher than two diode voltage drops be-
cuits simplify this task. Usually, both instances require little or low VCC due to Q2 and D2. So when operating with a 5V
no external circuitry. supply, the TTL output cannot go much higher than about
3.5V. Figure 1 shows an LSTTL gate, which has an output
Interfacing Between TTL and MM74HC Logic structure formed by Q2 and Q4. As the LSTTL output goes
This high-speed CMOS family can operate from 2–6V, how- high, these two transistors cannot pull higher than two
ever, in most applications which interface to TTL, both logic base-emitter voltage drops below VCC, and, as above, the
families will probably operate off the same 5V TTL supply. output cannot go much higher than 3.5V. If the output of ei-
The interconnection can be broken down into two cate- ther the LSTTL or TTL gate is loaded or the off sink transistor
gories: TTL outputs driving CMOS inputs, and CMOS out- has some collector leakages, the output voltage will be
puts driving TTL inputs. In both cases the interface is very lower.
simple. Many LSTTL and ALSTTL circuits take R2 of Figure 1 and in-
In the first case, TTL driving HC, there are some minor differ- stead of connecting it to ground, it is connected to the output.
ences in TTL specifications for totem-pole outputs and This enables the TTL output to go to 4.3V (VCC = 5.0V) which
high-speed CMOS input specifications. The TTL output low is more than adequate to drive CMOS. A simple measure-
level is completely compatible with the MM74HC input low, ment of open circuit VOH can verify this circuit configuration.
but TTL outputs are specified to have an output high level of

AN005053-19

(a)

AN005053-20

(b)
FIGURE 1. Schematic Diagrams for Typical (a) Standard and
(b) Low Power Schottky TTL Outputs
AN-314

© 1998 Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation AN005053 www.fairchildsemi.com

 Since LSTTL specifications guarantee a 2.7V output high
level instead of a 3.5V output high, when designing to the
worst case characteristics greater compatibility is sometimes
desired. One solution to increase compatibility is to raise the
output high level on the TTL output by placing a pull-up resis-
tor from the TTL output to VCC, as shown in Figure 3. When
the output pulls up, the resistor pulls the voltage very close to
VCC. The value of the resistor should be chosen based on
the LSTTL and CMOS fanout of the LS gate. Figure 2 shows
the range of pull-up resistors values versus LS fanout that
can be used. For example, if an LSTTL device is driving only
CMOS circuits, the resistor value is chosen from the left axis
which corresponds to a zero LSTTL fanout.
A second solution is to use one of the many MM74HCT TTL
input compatible devices. These circuits have a specially de-
signed input circuit that is compatible with TTL logic levels.
Their input high level is specified at 2.0V and their input low
is 0.8V with VCC = 5.0V ± 10%. Thus LS can be directly con-
nected to HC logic and the extra pull-up resistors can be AN005053-2

eliminated. The direct interconnection of the TTL to CMOS FIGURE 2. Range of Pull-Up Resistors for Low
translators is shown in Figure 4. Power Schottkey TTL to CMOS Interface
If TTL open collector outputs with a pull-up resistor are driv-
ing MM74HC logic, there is no interface circuitry needed as When MM74HC outputs are driving TTL inputs, as shown in
the external pull-up will pull the output to a high level very Figure 5, there is no incompatibility. Both the high and low
close to VCC. The value of this pull-up for LS gates has the output voltages are compatible with TTL. The only restriction
same constraints as the totem-pole outputs and its value can in high-speed CMOS driving TTL is the same fanout restric-
be chosen from Figure 2 as well. The special TTL to CMOS tions that apply when TTL is driving TTL.
buffers may also be used in this case, but they are not
necessary.

AN005053-3

FIGURE 3. Interfacing LSTTL Outputs to Standard

CMOS Inputs Using a Pull-Up Resistor

www.fairchildsemi.com 2
 AN005053-4

FIGURE 4. LSTTL Outputs Directly Drives MM74HCT Logic

Directly Which Can Interface to MM74HC

AN005053-5

FIGURE 5. High-Speed CMOS Can Directly Connect Up

to LSTTL Within its Fanout Restrictions

3 www.fairchildsemi.com
 High-speed CMOS has much improved output drive com- CD4000 and MM74C logic families are completely input and
pared to CD4000 and MM74C metal-gate CMOS logic. Fig- output logic level compatible. Since both families have very
ure 6 tabulates the fanout capabilities for this family. low input currents, there is essentially no fanout limitations
MM74HC standard outputs have a fanout capability of driv- for either family.
ing 10 LSTTL equivalent load and MM74HC bus driver out- The same input and output compatibility of the HC-CMOS
puts can drive up to 15 LSTTL inputs. It is unlikely that makes it also ideal for use interfacing to CMOS-LSI circuits.
greater fanouts will be necessary, but several gates can be For example, MM74HC can be directly connected to CMOS
paralleled to increase output drive. microprocessors, as well as CMOS telecommunications
products.
MM74HC and NMOS/HMOS Interconnection
With the introduction of CMOS circuits that are MM74HC to ECL Interconnection
speed-equivalent to LSTTL, these fast CMOS devices will There may be some instances where an ECL logic system
replace much of the bipolar support logic for many NMOS must be connected to high-speed CMOS logic. There are
and HMOS microprocessor and LSI circuits. As a group, several possible methods to interconnect these families. Fig-
there is no real standard set of input and output specifica- ure 8 shows one method which uses the 10125/10525 ECL
tions, but most NMOS circuits conform to TTL logic input and to TTL interface circuit to go from ECL to HC-CMOS logic
output logic level specifications. and the 10124/10524 to connect CMOS outputs to ECL in-
NMOS outputs will typically pull close to VCC. As with LSTTL, puts. These devices allow the CMOS to operate with
standard MM74HC CMOS inputs will typically accept NMOS VCC = 5V while the ECL circuitry uses a −5.2V supply.
outputs directly. However, to improve compatibility the An alternate approach would be to operate the CMOS from
MM74HCT series of TTL compatible circuits may be used. the −5.2V ECL supply as shown in Figure 9. Thus CMOS
These devices are particularly useful in microprocessor sys- outputs could be directly connected to ECL inputs.
tems, since many of the octal devices are bus oriented and
have pin-outs with inputs and outputs on opposite sides of Logic Interfaces Requiring Level Translation
the package. As with LSTTL, a second solution is to add a
There are many instances when interfacing from one logic
pull-up resistor between the NMOS output and VCC. Both
family to another that the other logic family will be operating
methods are shown in Figure 7. from a different power supply voltage. If this is the case, a
MM74HC outputs can directly drive NMOS inputs. In fact, level translation must be accomplished. There are many dif-
this situation is the same as if high-speed CMOS was driving ferent permutations of up and down level conversions that
itself. NMOS circuits have near zero input current and usu- may be required. A few of the more likely ones are discussed
ally have input voltage levels that are TTL compatible. Thus here.
MM74HC needs no additional circuitry to drive NMOS and
there is also virtually no DC fanout restriction.

Interfacing High-Speed CMOS to MM74C, CD4000 and

CMOS-LSI
MM74HC CMOS and metal-gate CMOS logic interconnec-
tion is trivial. When both families are operated for the same
power supply, no interface circuitry is needed. MM74HC,

HC-CMOS Equivalent LSTTL TTL S-TTL ALS-TTL

Fanouts Min Typ Min Typ Min Typ Min Typ
Standard Output
MM74HC 10 20 2 4 2 4 20 40
Bus Driver Output
MM74HC 15 30 4 8 3 6 30 60

FIGURE 6. Equivalent Fanout Capabilities of High-Speed CMOS Logic

www.fairchildsemi.com 4
 AN005053-6

(a)

AN005053-7

(b)
FIGURE 7. Improved Compatibility NMOS to CMOS Connection Using
(a) TTL Input Compatible Devices or (b) External Pull-Up Resistors

5 www.fairchildsemi.com
 AN005053-8

FIGURE 8. MM74HC to ECL and ECL to HC-CMOS Interface

AN005053-9

FIGURE 9. HC-CMOS Driving ECL Logic from Same Power Supply

www.fairchildsemi.com 6
If MM74HC is operated in a battery back up application for a levels are compatible with CMOS inputs, as shown in Figure
TTL system, high-speed CMOS may be operated at 10. When high-speed CMOS is operated at 2V, the TTL out-
VCC = 2–3V and can be connected to 5V TTL. CMOS operat- puts will exceed the CMOS power supply and the CMOS
ing at 3V can be directly connected to TTL since its input and outputs will just barely pull high enough to drive TTL, so
output levels are compatible with TTL, and the TTL output some level translation will be necessary.

AN005053-10

(a)

AN005053-11

(b)
FIGURE 10. When HC-CMOS Is Operating At VCC = 3V No Logic Level Conversion Circuitry Is Needed

7 www.fairchildsemi.com
 CD4000 and MM74C metal-gate CMOS logic can be oper- will have to be down converted to 5V high-speed CMOS lev-
ated over a wider supply range that MM74HC, and because els. Figure 11 shows several possible down conversion tech-
of this there will be instances when metal-gate CMOS and niques using a CD4049, CD4050, MM74HC4049,
HC-CMOS will be operated off different supply voltages. MM74HC4050, or MM74C906.
Usually 9V to 15V CD4000 logic levels

AN005053-12

(a)

AN005053-13

(b)
FIGURE 11. CD4000 or 74C Series CMOS to HC-CMOS Connection with Logic Level Conversion Using (a) Special
Down Converters or (b) Open Drain CMOS

www.fairchildsemi.com 8
Since CMOS has a high input impedance, another possibility Up conversion from MM74HC to metal-gate CMOS can be
is to use a resistor voltage divider for down level conversion accomplished as shown in Figure 13. Here an MM74C906
as shown in Figure 12. Voltage dividers will, however, dissi- open drain buffer with a pull-up resistor tied to the larger
pate some power. power supply is used.

AN005053-14

FIGURE 12. CMOS to “HC” CMOS Logic Level Translation

Using Resistor Divider

AN005053-15

FIGURE 13. HC-CMOS to CD4000 or 74C Series CMOS Connection with

Logic Level Conversion Using an Open Drain CMOS Circuit

9 www.fairchildsemi.com
 AN005053-16

FIGURE 14. Interfacing Between HC-CMOS and High Voltage Control Logic

High Voltage and Industrial Control Interfaces

On occasion, interfacing to industrial and automotive control
systems may be necessary. If these systems operate within
the metal-gate CMOS supply range, interfacing MM74HC to
them is similar to interfacing to CD4000 operating at a higher
supply. In rugged industrial environments, care may be re-
quired to ensure that large transients do not harm the CMOS
logic. Figure 14 shows a typical connection to a high voltage
system using diode clamps for input and output protection.
The higher drive of HC-CMOS can enable direct connection
to relay circuits, but additional isolation is recommended.
Clamp diodes should again be used to prevent spikes gener-
ated by the relay from harming the CMOS device. For higher
current drive an external transistor may be used to interface
to high-speed CMOS. Both of these are shown in Figure 15.
Also, the higher drive enables easy connection to SCR’s and
other power control semiconductors as shown in Figure 16.

Conclusion
Interfacing between different logic families is not at all diffi-
cult. In most instances, when no logic level translation be-
tween is done, no external circuitry is needed to interconnect
AN005053-17
logic families. Even though the wide supply range of MM74C
and CD4000 creates many possible logic level conversion FIGURE 15. Interfacing MM74HC to Relays
interface situations, most are easily handled by employing a
minimum of extra circuitry. Additionally, several special inter-
face devices also simplify logic level conversion.

AN005053-18

FIGURE 16. MM74HC Driving an SCR

www.fairchildsemi.com 10
11
Interfacing to MM74HC High-Speed CMOS Logic

LIFE SUPPORT POLICY

FAIRCHILD’S PRODUCTS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN LIFE SUPPORT DE-
VICES OR SYSTEMS WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE PRESIDENT OF FAIRCHILD SEMI-
CONDUCTOR CORPORATION. As used herein:
1. Life support devices or systems are devices or sys- 2. A critical component in any component of a life support
tems which, (a) are intended for surgical implant into device or system whose failure to perform can be rea-
the body, or (b) support or sustain life, and (c) whose sonably expected to cause the failure of the life support
failure to perform when properly used in accordance device or system, or to affect its safety or effectiveness.
with instructions for use provided in the labeling, can
be reasonably expected to result in a significant injury
to the user.

Fairchild Semiconductor Fairchild Semiconductor Fairchild Semiconductor Fairchild Semiconductor

Corporation Europe Hong Kong Ltd. Japan Ltd.
Americas Fax: +49 (0) 1 80-530 85 86 8/F Room 808 Empire Centre 4F, Natsume BI,
AN-314

Customer Response Center Email: europe.support@nsc.com 68 Mody Road, Tsimshatsui East 2-18-6 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku,
Tel: 1-888-522-5372 Deutsch Tel: +49 (0) 8 141-35-0 Kowloon, Hong Kong Tokyo 113-0034, Japan
Fax: 972-910-8036 English Tel: +44 (0) 1 793-85-68-56 Tel: 852-2722-8338 Tel: 81-3-3818-8840
Italy Tel: +39 (0) 2 57 5631 Fax: 852-2722-8383 Fax: 81-3-3818-8450

www.fairchildsemi.com

Fairchild does not assume any responsibility for use of any circuitry described, no circuit patent licenses are implied and Fairchild reserves the right at any time without notice to change said circuitry and specifications.