Protection circuit

1. A protection circuit comprising:

a controllable discharge transistor having a load path coupled between a first circuit node and a second circuit node and having an on state or an off state, wherein the discharge transistor provides a discharge path between the first and the second circuit nodes when the discharge transistor is in the on state;

a trigger circuit having a first connection coupled to the first circuit node and a second connection coupled to the second circuit node, wherein:

the trigger circuit comprises series connected elements coupled between the first and second connections,

the trigger circuit has a third connection from an intermediate node of the series connected elements that is directly connected to a control terminal of the discharge transistor,

the trigger circuit is configured to supply a drive signal to the control terminal of the discharge transistor, and

the drive signal is operable to switch the discharge transistor to the on state when the voltage between the first and the second circuit nodes reaches a trigger value; and

a setting circuit coupled to the trigger circuit, the setting circuit configured to change the trigger value from a first trigger value to a second trigger value depending on at least one of a voltage between the first and the second circuit nodes and the drive signal, wherein the second trigger value is less than the first trigger value.

2. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the setting circuit is configured to reduce the trigger value from the first trigger value to the second trigger value when the voltage between the first and the second circuit nodes exceeds a threshold value.

3. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the threshold value corresponds to the first trigger value.

4. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the threshold value is higher than the first trigger value.

5. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the threshold value is lower than the first trigger value.

6. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the setting circuit is configured to produce the trigger value depending on the drive signal.

7. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the setting circuit is configured to reduce the trigger value from the first trigger value to the second trigger value when the drive signal exceeds a threshold value.

8. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the threshold value corresponds to a threshold voltage of the transistor.

9. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the threshold value is higher than a threshold voltage of the transistor.

10. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the threshold value is lower than a threshold voltage of the transistor.

11. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the series connected elements comprise a detector circuit coupled between the first and the second circuit nodes, the detector circuit configured to produce a trigger signal depending on the voltage between the first and the second circuit nodes, wherein the drive signal is dependent on the trigger signal.

12. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the detector circuit comprises:

a zener circuit having at least one zener diode; and

a detector element coupled in series with the zener circuit.

13. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the detector element comprises a resistance element, a voltage divider, or a diode.

14. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the trigger signal is a voltage across the detector element.

15. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the zener circuit comprises a plurality of zener diodes coupled in series between the first and the second circuit nodes.

16. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the setting circuit comprises a bridging circuit that is configured to bridge at least one of the zener diodes in order to set the second trigger value.

17. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the bridging circuit comprises a switching element coupled in parallel with at least one zener diode of the zener circuit.

18. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the bridge circuit is configured to bridge at least one zener diode of the zener circuit depending on the drive signal.

19. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the trigger circuit comprises an amplifier coupled between the detector circuit and the discharge transistor, wherein the trigger signal is supplied to the amplifier and the amplifier produces the drive signal depending on the trigger signal.

20. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the discharge transistor comprises a plurality of transistors.

21. A protection circuit comprising:

a controllable discharge element having a load path coupled between a first circuit node and a second circuit node, the discharge element configured to assume an on state or an off state, wherein the discharge element provides a discharge path between the first and the second circuit nodes when the discharge element is in the on state; and

a trigger circuit having a first connection coupled to the first circuit node and a second connection coupled to the second circuit node, the trigger circuit configured to produce a drive signal that switches the discharge element to the on state when a voltage between the first and the second circuit nodes reaches a trigger voltage, the trigger circuit comprising:

a detector circuit coupled between the first and the second circuit nodes and configured to produce a trigger signal depending on the voltage between the first and the second circuit nodes, the detector circuit comprising a zener circuit having a plurality of series connected zener diodes and a bypass circuit configured to bypass a portion of the series connected zener diodes when the bypass circuit is turned on; and

an amplifier coupled between the detector circuit and the discharge element, wherein the trigger signal is supplied to the amplifier and the amplifier produces the drive signal depending on the trigger signal.

22. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the detector circuit further comprises a detector element coupled in series with the zener circuit.

23. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the trigger signal is a voltage across the detector element.

24. The protection circuit as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the amplifier comprises at least one transistor that is coupled to the detector element.

25. A protection circuit comprising:

a controllable discharge element having a load path coupled between a first circuit node and a second circuit node and having an on state or an off state, wherein the discharge element provides a discharge path between the first and the second circuit nodes when the discharge element is in the on state;

a trigger circuit having first connection coupled to the first circuit node and a second connection coupled to the second circuit node, the trigger circuit configured to produce a drive signal that switches the discharge element to the on state when the voltage between the first and the second circuit nodes reaches a trigger value;

a setting circuit coupled to the trigger circuit, the setting circuit configured to change the trigger value from a first trigger value to a second trigger value depending on at least one of a voltage between the first and the second circuit nodes and the drive signal, wherein the second trigger value is less than the first trigger value, and wherein the setting circuit is configured to:

produce the trigger value depending on the drive signal; and

reduce the trigger value from the first trigger value to the second trigger value when the drive signal exceeds a threshold value; and

wherein the controllable discharge element comprises a transistor and wherein the threshold value is lower than a threshold voltage of the transistor.