Method and circuit arrangement for detecting a wire break

1. A method for continuously detecting a wire break in a full bridge driving an inductive load, the full bridge containing four switching devices operated between a supply potential and a ground potential, which comprises the steps of:

performing one of deactivating the full bridge and switching over the full bridge by switching one predetermined switching device of the switching devices first;

tapping off a potential present at a connection between the predetermined switching device switched first and the inductive load resulting in a tapped-off potential;

comparing the tapped-off potential with the supply potential if the predetermined switching device switched first is connected to the ground potential, or with the ground potential if the predetermined switching device switched first is connected to the supply potential; and

detecting a wire break if compared potentials are not different in a freewheeling state.

2. A circuit configuration for continuously detecting a wire break in a full bridge driving an inductive load, the full bridge containing four switching devices operated between a supply potential and a ground potential, the circuit configuration comprising:

a control circuit for one of switching over and deactivating the full bridge, said control circuit switching a predetermined switching device of the switching devices first;

a comparison device for comparing a potential present at a connection between the predetermined switching device switched first and the inductive load with the supply potential if the predetermined switching device switched first is connected to the ground potential, or with the ground potential if the predetermined switching device switched first is connected to the supply potential, said comparison device providing a signal level on an output side being a positive signal level if compared potentials are different in a freewheeling state; and

an evaluator having an input side connected to said output side of said comparison device and receiving the signal level on said input side, said evaluator determining a presence of the wire break if the signal level is not positive in the freewheeling state.

3. The circuit configuration according to claim 2 , further comprising a diode connected in parallel with a load junction of each of the switching devices.

4. The circuit configuration according to claim 2 , wherein said control circuit generates control signals for the switching devices and the control signals can cause a switching over of the switching devices, said control circuit transmitting precisely one of four control signals prior to other control signals for switching over the predetermined switching device.

5. The circuit configuration according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the switching devices is a MOSFET.

6. The circuit configuration according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the switching devices is a bipolar transistor with a freewheeling diode.

7. The circuit configuration according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the switching devices is a Darlington transistor with a freewheeling diode.

8. The circuit configuration according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the switching devices is an IGBT with a freewheeling diode.

9. The circuit configuration according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the switching devices is a power MOSFET.

10. A circuit configuration for continuously detecting a wire break in a full bridge driving an inductive load, the full bridge containing four switching devices operated between a supply potential and a ground potential, the circuit configuration comprising:

a control circuit for one of switching over and deactivating the full bridge, said control circuit switching a predetermined switching device of the switching devices first;

a comparison device for comparing a potential present at a connection between the predetermined switching device switched first and the inductive load with the supply potential if the predetermined switching device switched first is connected to the ground potential, or with the ground potential if the predetermined switching device switched first is connected to the supply potential, said comparison device providing a signal level on an output side being a positive signal level if compared potentials are different in a freewheeling state; and

an evaluator having an input side connected to said output side of said comparison device and receiving the signal level on said input side, said evaluator determining a presence of the wire break if the signal level is not positive in the freewheeling state;

said comparison device including:

a first comparator for comparing a first potential present at a connection between a first switching device of the switching devices and the inductive load with the supply potential and provides a positive logical signal level on an output side if compared potentials are different in the freewheeling state;

a second comparator comparing a second potential present at a connection between a second switching device of the switching devices and the inductive load with the supply potential and provides a positive logical signal level on an output side if compared potentials are different in the freewheeling state;

a third comparator compares a third potential present at a connection between a third switching device of the switching devices and the inductive load with the ground potential and provides a positive logical signal level on an output side if compared potentials are different in the freewheeling state; and

a fourth comparator comparing a fourth potential present at a connection between a fourth switching device of the switching devices and the inductive load with the ground potential and provides a positive logical signal level on an output side if compared potentials are different in the freewheeling state.

11. The circuit configuration according to claim 10 , wherein said evaluator evaluates signal levels provided by said comparators on said output side, and detects the wire break if none of said comparators delivers the positive logic signal level in the freewheeling state.