Method and device for detecting ground short circuit faults

Abstract

A method and device for the detection of short to ground circuits is disclosed. The method includes (i) connecting to a detection current source that is linked to the high-side lead terminal of the two lead terminals of an electronic control circuit, (ii) disconnecting the low-side switch of the ground terminal of the electronic control circuit, (iii) measuring the voltage of the two lead terminals of the electronic control circuit separately, and (iv) determining whether the high-side lead terminal or the low-side lead terminal of the two lead terminals has a short to ground circuit by comparing the voltages of the two lead terminals. When the voltage of the high-side lead terminal is greater than the voltage of the low-side lead terminal, it is determined that the low-side lead terminal has a short to ground circuit. When the voltage of the high-side lead terminal is equal to the voltage of the low-side lead terminal, it is determined that the high-side lead terminal has a short to ground circuit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.