Patent ID: 8559153

Claim:
A circuit configuration for switching valves with joint pulse width modulation and quenching, comprising: a first switch, to which a pulse width modulation is applied for controlling magnetic fields of a plurality of valve inductors connected to the circuit configuration; and a diode, which is in a conducting state when a plurality of second switches are in a switching state for a slow quenching of the magnetic fields of the inductors, and which is not in a quenching circuit when the second switches are in a switching state for a rapid quenching of the magnetic fields of the inductors; wherein the plurality of second switches operates so that the circuit configuration is able to be switched between a slow and a rapid quenching of the magnetic fields of the inductors, and wherein the second switches switch the magnetic fields of the inductors one of jointly, group-wise, and individually between the slow and the rapid quenching, wherein the plurality of second switches and a blocking terminal of the diode are connected to a common supply line, wherein there is a plurality of feedback lines, each being between each of the second switches and a corresponding one of the inductors, and wherein there is a feedback line between the inductors and the first switch, and wherein the plurality of feedback lines, each being between each of the second switches and the corresponding ones of the inductors and the feedback line between the inductors and the first switch, are feedback lines for feeding back the state of the first switch and each of the second switches, and the control device detects a fault condition of the first and of the individual second switches based on the state signaled back.