CPC F02D 41/22 (2013.01) [G01R 31/52 (2020.01); F02D 41/20 (2013.01); F02D 2041/2093 (2013.01)] | 12 Claims |
1. A method for a circuit that includes a load, a high-side path in which a high-side switch is connected between a first potential connection and a first connection of the load, and a low-side path in which a low-side switch is connected between a second potential connection and a second connection of the load, the method comprising:
determining, via a first comparator and a second comparator, respectively, a first voltage value in the high-side path and a second voltage value in the low-side path;
responsive to a determination that one of the first and second voltage values exceeds a threshold value for at least a duration of a predefined time interval, checking, via at least one of the first comparator and the second comparator, whether the other of the first and second voltage values currently exceeds the threshold value; and
responsive to the result of the checking being that the threshold value is not currently exceeded by the other voltage value, determining, via a control unit, that there is a short circuit in whichever of the paths has the voltage value that had been determined to exceed the threshold value for at least the duration of the predefined time interval,
wherein a short circuit across the load is also determined when the first voltage value and the second voltage value exceed the threshold value at the same time during the predefined time interval.
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