Abstract: Various circuit components can communicate via a bus conductor. One circuit component comprises an interface stage with a transistor coupled between the bus conductor and a power supply terminal. When a further circuit component pulls the potential on the bus conductor beyond the potential of the power supply, the potential on the control electrode of the transistor is pulled along. The connection between the control electrode and the remainder of the circuit component is then turned off, irrespective of the state of the remainder of the circuit component. This remainder includes, for example, an inverter in antiparallel connection with an inverter formed in conjunction with the transistor, so that these inverters together constitute a bus-hold circuit.