Patent ID: 7027939

Claim:
A method of detecting a defect of electronic components in an electronic control unit with one or more outputs ( 15 , 15 ′) for the driving of loads ( 3 , 3 ′), wherein redundant measurement of the current (I L ) flowing through the semiconductor circuit element is executed at the contacts (G,S,D), in particular at the driven contacts (S,D), of one or more semiconductor circuit elements, and an error function of a semiconductor circuit element is detected when the comparison of two current values (I S , I Sense1 , I Sense2 ) by way of the current flowing through a load ( 3 , 3 ′) indicates an unequal current distribution, wherein at least one of the gate potential and the drain potential ( 37 ) of semiconductor circuit elements is determined by comparison with a nominal potential, and a circuit defect is considered to prevail when a deviation is detected.