Patent ID: 8866484

Claim:
A method for assessing functionality of an electromagnetic tripping of a switch including switching contacts which are openable with the aid of a tripping shaft, the tripping shaft being held prestressed by a switching mechanism and being unlatchable by a tripping magnet which includes a winding through which a current is sent for tripping, the method comprising: connecting the winding as an inductance in a resonant circuit; energizing the resonant circuit continuously; detecting the frequency of oscillations produced by the resonant circuit; assessing the functionality of the tripping magnet, based upon the detected frequency; and outputting a result of the assessment via a plurality of outputs, wherein a first fault signal is output at a first output indicating a broken wire in the winding of the tripping magnet and wherein a second fault signal is output via a second output if the tripping magnet has not assumed a tripping position.