Patent ID: 6625516
Filing Date: 2003-09-23
Classification: H03K

Abstract:
An electric load driving device mounted in an electronic control unit comprising:two output terminals connected in series with an electric current supply path for supplying a drive current to the electric load; a single switching output transistor connected in series with the two output terminals; input means for inputting a control signal from outside; and storage means storing output mode setting data therein; wherein a mode of outputting the drive current to the electric load is set to either one of a high-side output mode or a low-side output mode in accordance with the output mode setting data stored in the storage means, the high-side output mode being for rendering the two terminals conductive in response to the control signal inputted from the input means while being connected with a higher-potential side than the electric load in the current supply path thereby to supply the drive current to the electric load via the single switching output transistor, the low-side output mode being for rendering the two terminals conductive in response to the control signal inputted from the input means while being connected with a lower-potential side than the electric load in the current supply path thereby to supply the drive current from the electric load via the single switching output transistor, and wherein the storage means is a nonvolatile memory capable of holding the output mode setting data even after being interrupted from an electric power supply, and stores the output mode setting data in advance before the energization of the electric load is executed for the first time, with the electronic control unit being arranged to control the energization of the electric load.