Patent ID: 7733617

Claim:
A self testing fault detector and interrupter having a line side and a load side and a conductive path therebetween, said apparatus comprising: a solenoid, adapted to move a plurality of contacts disposed in said conductive path from a first position to a second position when said self testing fault detector is powered from the line side; a programmable processor programmed to energize said solenoid by activating a first switch using a first output thereof for a selected period of time determined by the processor and to maintain said solenoid in said energized state by activating a second switch using a second output thereof after said selected period of time has elapsed and deactivating said first switch; and a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) chip, configured to detect an occurrence of a ground fault, and having an output to said second switch to control deenergization of said solenoid independently of the processor when a fault condition is detected.