Method of determining the output capacitance of a voltage supply device

A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which the measurement does not begin until a predefined waiting time (tdelay) has elapsed after the voltage supply has been switched off.

A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which the capacitance is determined while a connection device, particularly plug and/or cable, is coupled for the connection of a load to the voltage supply device (12).

A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which the precision resistors through which the voltage is discharged form at least a voltage divider (30, 32) comprising at least two resistors (34, 36;

• 38, 40) and the divided voltage (U′1, U′2) is measured by at least one of the resistors (36, 38) of the voltage divider (30, 32).

A voltage supply device comprising a voltage supply unit, more particularly, a high-voltage supply unit (12) having at least two output terminals (22, 24) and at least one precision resistor (34, 36, 38, 40) which is connected between the output terminals (22, 24), characterized by a device for automatically determining the output capacitance, the output capacitance determining device comprising a voltage measuring device for measuring the voltage (U12) between the output terminals (22, 24), and means for activating the voltage supply unit so that a voltage (U12) is generated between the output terminals (22, 24), and the voltage supply unit is then switched off or switched down to a lower voltage value, and also means for determining the output capacitance from the measurement of the voltage (U12) between the output terminals at at least two instants (tA, tB) during the discharge through the precision resistor (34, 36, 38, 40).