Method for operating a circuit assembly

A computing unit for operating a circuit system having at least three control stages for at least three phases, each of the control stages having a high-side switch and a low-side switch, each of the high-side switches and each of the low-side switches being capable of being brought into an electrically conductive state and into an electrically non-conductive state, comprising:

• a computing device configured to perform the following:
• determine a quantity that influences a temperature of at least one of the high-side switches and the low-side switches;
• select, in groups, either the high-side switches or the low-side switches as a function of the quantity influencing the temperature;
• and
• control the selected high-side switches or low-side switches in a freewheeling phase, so that the selected high-side switches or low-side switches form a freewheel during the freewheeling phase;
• wherein the high-side switches are situated and mounted in a center segment of a semiconductor module, and the low-side switches are situated and mounted in an edge segment of the semiconductor module, so that the high-side switches have a better cooling connection to the semiconductor module than the low-side switches,
• wherein the edge segment and the center segment are separate from one another on the semiconductor module,
• wherein the center segment has a larger surface area than does the edge segment, and wherein the semiconductor module is an integrated circuit,
• wherein the semiconductor module is on a semiconductor substrate, and
• wherein the high-side switches are formed as p-channel semiconductor switching elements having a larger surface than the low-side switches, which are formed as n-channel semiconductor switching elements, so as to improve heat dissipation of the high-side switches.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer program, which is executable by a computing unit, comprising:

• a computer program for operating a circuit system having at least three control stages for at least three phases, each of the control stages having a high-side switch and a low-side switch, each of the high-side switches and each of the low-side switches being capable of being brought into an electrically conductive state and into an electrically non-conductive state, by performing the following:
• determining a quantity that influences a temperature of at least one of the high-side switches and the low-side switches;
• selecting, in groups, either the high-side switches or the low-side switches as a function of the quantity influencing the temperature;
• and
• controlling the selected high-side switches or low-side switches in a freewheeling phase, so that the selected high-side switches or low-side switches form a freewheel during the freewheeling phase;
• wherein the high-side switches are situated and mounted in a center segment of a semiconductor module, and the low-side switches are situated and mounted in an edge segment of the semiconductor module, so that the high-side switches have a better cooling connection to the semiconductor module than the low-side switches,
• wherein the edge segment and the center segment are separate from one another on the semiconductor module,
• wherein the center segment has a larger surface area than does the edge segment, and wherein the semiconductor module is an integrated circuit,
• wherein the semiconductor module is on a semiconductor substrate, and
• wherein the high-side switches are formed as p-channel semiconductor switching elements having a larger surface than the low-side switches, which are formed as n-channel semiconductor switching elements, so as to improve heat dissipation of the high-side switches.