Electric circuit arrangement for controlling a solenoid-operated fluid valve

An electric circuit arrangement for controlling a solenoid-operated fluid valve, comprising:

• a solenoid coil;
• connecting lines;
• and
• an amplifier circuit including an input stage and an output stage, the amplifier converting a voltage supplied to the input stage into a current of a corresponding magnitude, the current flowing from the output stage via the connecting lines to the solenoid coil;
• a monitoring circuit including a current-measuring device for the current, wherein:
• the monitoring circuit is supplied with a setpoint voltage determining a magnitude of the current,
• the monitoring circuit continuously reduces the voltage supplied to the input stage starting from the setpoint voltage if a time average of the current has exceeded an upper threshold value,
• the monitoring circuit interrupts a connecting line leading to the solenoid coil if the time average has not fallen again below the upper threshold value after a specifiable time, and
• the monitoring circuit increases the voltage supplied to the input stage again to the setpoint voltage after the time average of the current has fallen below the upper threshold value.