Patent ID: 8542088

Claim:
A method for a monitoring device, which is activated by electrical pulses, the method comprising: counting first pulses that are transmitted from a control arrangement to the monitoring device by an output of an output stage of a control arrangement, wherein the output of the output stage is connected to the monitoring device which is to be activated, and wherein a feedback arrangement is connected to the control arrangement and to the output of the output stage; counting, using the control arrangement, second pulses, which are received via the feedback arrangement, that are also received by the monitoring device from the output of the output stage; and comparing, using the control arrangement, the numbers of first pulses and second pulses with one another; wherein counting is performed by a counter of the control arrangement, and wherein the counter is an upward/downward counter, to the upward counting input of which the first pulses are fed, and to the downward counting input of which the second pulses are fed, wherein a fault message is output only if a counter reading or counter readings is/are outside a predetermined tolerance band, and wherein the counter is reset to zero in predefined time intervals.