Patent ID: 7679370

Claim:
A controller for driving an electrical load, said controller comprising: a processor comprising at least one port configurable to operate as an input or an output; discrete driver circuitry connected to said one port of the processor, said discrete driver circuitry configured to selectively apply electrical power to drive an electrical load or remove electrical power from said load in response to a drive signal; and logic for configuring the one port of the processor as an output to provide the drive signal to the discrete driver circuitry, and further for configuring the one port of the processor as an input to receive a feedback signal from the discrete driver circuitry; said logic and said discrete driver circuitry interoperable to distinctly detect, identify, and report a short to ground fault condition; said logic and said discrete driver circuitry further interoperable to distinctly detect, identify, and report a short to power fault condition; said logic and said discrete driver circuitry further interoperable to distinctly detect, identify, and report an open circuit fault condition, wherein the discrete driver circuitry comprises a capacitor coupled in parallel with both the electrical load and with a resistance distinct from the electrical load, and wherein the open circuit fault condition is detected based on a discharge rate of the capacitor when the drive signal is controlled to a state whereby electrical power is removed from the electrical load.