A SWITCHING CIRCUIT FOR HANDLING SIGNAL VOLTAGES GREATER THAN THE SUPPLY VOLTAGE

Analog bidirectional switches (20) comprising a first (1) and a second (2) transistor function badly in case of the signal voltage at an input or an output of the switch (20) exceeding the supply voltage used for operating the switch (20). By providing the switch (20) with a circuit (21), a second control signal (“f”) destined for the second transistor (2) is no longer generated by solely inverting a first control signal (“e”) destined for the first tranistor (1), but is generated in response to the first control signal (“e”) and by taking into account the in/output signal (“z”) at an in/output of the switch (20). The circuit (21) comprises a generator (22) for generating the second control signal (“f”) having either a fixed value or a value of the in/output signal (“z”), and comprises a detector (23) for supplying the in/output signal (“z”) to the generator (22). A further circuit (24) comprises a further generator for generating a backgate signal (“bg”) destined for the second transistor (2).