Protective device for decoupling electric control circuits in a redundant system for autonomous driving

A protective device for decoupling electric control circuits when at least one electropneumatic actuator is jointly used by a plurality of independently voltage-supplied control unit devices in a redundant system for autonomous driving, comprising:

• at least one current flow blocking device configured to prevent a resulting flow of current to an electronic control unit of another of a first control unit device and a second control unit device when one of the first and second control unit devices applies a switched current to the at least one electropneumatic actuator;
• wherein the at least one electropneumatic actuator has, in each case, a common connection, via which the at least one electropneumatic actuator can be coupled and switched to a common connection of at least one other electropneumatic actuator, and at least one dedicated connection, via which the at least one electropneumatic actuator can be individually supplied with current,
• wherein the plurality of control unit devices has the at least one first control unit device including a first electronic control unit and a first number of switching devices corresponding to the common connection and the number of dedicated connections of all the electropneumatic actuators, and has the at least one second control unit device including a second electronic control unit and a second number of switching devices corresponding to the common connection and the number of dedicated connections of all the electropneumatic actuators, and
• wherein the at least one first and second control unit devices are arranged to apply or not apply a switched current to the at least one electropneumatic actuator using the switching devices.