Method for preventing making on electrical short circuits existing in branches and corresponding device

Abstract

A method is for preventing tapping into existing short circuits in branches. A power supply momentarily is connected in a test circuit at a defined instant of the power supply voltage and at least the current in the test time period is detected and evaluated as a criterion for a short circuit. The short-circuit current is limited by the use of an additional test resistor which is arranged in the test circuit in series preferably with a semiconductor switch. Solely the test current and/or the test voltage is used for identification of the short circuit. In the associated arrangement, a test resistor having a defined resistance, whose resistance is significantly greater than the power supply impedance, is arranged in the test circuit in series with the semiconductor switch.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.