Patent ID: 11879929
Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A method for automatically testing functionality of a switching member including at least one electrically switchable switching element, a switching state of the at least one electrically switchable switching element being influenceable via a control input of the at least one electrically switchable switching element and via a control signal generatable by a controller and output to the control input and the at least one switching element including a Silicon Carbide (SiC) power semiconductor or a Gallium Nitride (GaN) power semiconductor, the method comprising:
outputting an activation signal to the controller to change the control signal, the activation signal inducing a test signal as the change to the control signal and inducing a disconnection pulse as the test signal;
recording, in response to the disconnection pulse, a voltage drop across the switching element;
carrying out a comparison between an indicator, encoding the voltage drop recorded across the switching element, and a reference, encoding an expected response to the disconnection pulse;
generating, depending on a result of the comparison, a status signal encoding the functionality of the switching member; and
switching off the SiC power semiconductor or GaN power semiconductor via the disconnection pulse, while the SiC power semiconductor or GaN power semiconductor conducts current in a reverse direction.