Digital-to-analog converter circuit, data driver, and display device using the digital-to-analog converter circuit

1. A data driver, comprising:

a positive-polarity reference voltage generation circuit that generates a plurality of positive-polarity reference voltages;

a positive-polarity decoder that receives the positive-polarity reference voltages and selects and outputs first to nth (where n is a positive integer of at least 2) positive-polarity reference voltages from among the positive-polarity reference voltages, based on a first input digital signal;

a first amplifier that receives the selected first to nth positive-polarity reference voltages and outputs a positive-polarity gray scale voltage from a first output terminal thereof;

a negative-polarity reference voltage generation circuit that generates a plurality of negative-polarity reference voltages;

a negative-polarity decoder that receives the plurality of negative-polarity reference voltages and selects and outputs first to nth (where n is a positive integer of at least 2) negative-polarity reference voltages from among the plurality of negative-polarity reference voltages, based on a second input digital signal;

a negative-polarity amplifier that receives the selected first to nth negative-polarity reference voltages and outputs a negative-polarity gray scale voltage from a second output terminal thereof; and

an output switch circuit that switches and controls whether to directly connect said first output terminal and said second output terminal to first and second data lines, respectively, or to cross-connect said first output terminal and said second output terminal to said second data line and said first data line, respectively, based on a control signal,

wherein said first amplifier outputs a voltage which is defined by a value obtained by weighted averaging of the first to nth positive-polarity reference voltages output from said positive-polarity decoder and amplified by a first voltage amplification factor greater than one, from said first output terminal,

wherein said second amplifier outputs a voltage which is defined by a value obtained by weighted averaging of the first to nth negative-polarity reference voltages output from said negative-polarity decoder and amplified by a second voltage amplification factor greater than one, from said second output terminal,

wherein a high potential side voltage supply and a low potential side voltage supply are supplied to said first amplifier and said second amplifier, respectively, as driving voltage supplies,

wherein an output voltage range of said first amplifier ranges between a first voltage that is between the high potential side voltage supply and the low potential side voltage supply, and the high potential side voltage supply,

wherein a voltage range of the positive-polarity reference voltages corresponding to an input voltage range of said first amplifier is set near the high potential side voltage supply as a range narrower than the output voltage range of the first amplifier,

wherein an output voltage range of said second amplifier ranges between the first voltage and the low potential side voltage supply, and

wherein a voltage range of the negative-polarity reference voltages corresponding to an input voltage range of said second amplifier is set near the low potential side voltage supply as a range narrower than the output voltage range of the second amplifier.

2. The data driver according to claim 1 , wherein:

the high potential side voltage supply and a voltage supply that supplies a second voltage higher than the first voltage are supplied to said positive-polarity decoder,

the low potential side voltage supply and a voltage supply that supplies a third voltage lower than the first voltage are supplied to said negative-polarity decoder,

the positive-polarity decoder comprises low voltage devices corresponding to a voltage difference between the high potential side voltage supply and the voltage supply that supplies the second voltage, and

the negative-polarity decoder comprises low voltage devices corresponding to a voltage difference between the low potential side voltage supply and the voltage supply that supplies the third voltage.

3. A data driver, comprising:

a positive-polarity reference voltage generation circuit that generates a plurality of positive-polarity reference voltages;

a positive-polarity decoder that receives the positive-polarity reference voltages and selects and outputs first to nth (where n is a positive integer of at least 2) positive-polarity reference voltages from among the positive-polarity reference voltages, based on a first input digital signal;

a first amplifier that receives the selected first to nth positive-polarity reference voltages and outputs a positive-polarity gray scale voltage from a first output terminal thereof;

a negative-polarity reference voltage generation circuit that generates a plurality of negative-polarity reference voltages;

a negative-polarity decoder that receives the negative-polarity reference voltages and selects and outputs first to nth (where n is a positive integer of at least 2) negative-polarity reference voltages from among the negative-polarity reference voltages, based on a second input digital signal;

a negative-polarity amplifier that receives the selected first to nth negative-polarity reference voltages and outputs a negative-polarity gray scale voltage from a second output terminal thereof; and

an output switch circuit that switches and controls whether to directly connect said first output terminal and said second output terminal to first and second data lines, respectively, or to cross-connect said first output terminal and said second output terminal to said second data line and said first data line, respectively, based on a control signal,

wherein said first amplifier outputs a voltage which is defined by a value obtained by weighted averaging of the first to nth positive-polarity reference voltages output from said positive-polarity decoder and amplified by a first voltage amplification factor greater than one, from said first output terminal,

wherein said second amplifier outputs a voltage which is defined by a value obtained by weighted averaging of the first to nth negative-polarity reference voltages output from said negative-polarity decoder and amplified by a second voltage amplification factor greater than one, from said second output terminal,

wherein a reference voltage supply and a high potential side voltage supply higher than the reference voltage supply are supplied to said first amplifier, as driving voltage supplies,

wherein the reference voltage supply and a low potential side voltage supply lower than the reference voltage supply are supplied to said second amplifier, as driving voltage supplies,

wherein an output voltage range of said first amplifier ranges between the high potential side voltage supply and the reference voltage supply,

wherein the voltage range of the positive-polarity reference voltages corresponding to an input voltage range of said first amplifier is set near the reference voltage supply as a range narrower than the output voltage range of the first amplifier,

wherein an output voltage range of said second amplifier ranges between the low potential side voltage supply and the reference voltage supply, and

wherein the voltage range of the negative-polarity reference voltages corresponding to an input voltage range of said second amplifier is set near the reference voltage supply as a range narrower than the output voltage range of the second amplifier.

4. The data driver according to claim 3 , wherein:

a voltage supply that supplies a first voltage between the reference voltage supply and the high potential side voltage supply, and the reference voltage supply are supplied to the positive-polarity decoder,

a voltage supply that supplies a second voltage between the reference voltage supply and the low potential side voltage supply is supplied to the negative-polarity decoder,

the positive-polarity decoder comprises low voltage devices corresponding to a voltage difference between the reference voltage supply and the voltage supply that supplies the first voltage, and

the negative-polarity decoder comprises low voltage devices corresponding to a voltage difference between the reference voltage supply and the voltage supply that supplies the second voltage.