Patent ID: 7009908

Claim:
A decoding device, comprising: a final decoder for switchably transmitting a transmission signal, said final decoder including a switching unit having a field-controlled semiconductor switching device; a transmission signal line connected to said final decoder; a transmission signal driver operatively connected to said transmission signal line for generating the transmission signal with a given characteristic curve and for providing the transmission signal to said final decoder; said transmission signal driver generating the transmission signal such that the characteristic curve is such that said field-controlled semiconductor switching device is one of substantially completely blockable and substantially completely blocked for a transmission of the transmission signal when the transmission signal is applied to said field-controlled semiconductor switching device and said field-controlled semiconductor switching device is inactivated; a driver signal line connected to said field-controlled semiconductor switching device; a driver device for generating a driver signal and outputting the driver signal on said driver signal line; said driver device generating the driver signal such that the driver signal has a relatively lower electrical potential given an activation, and a relatively higher electrical potential given an inactivation; said field-controlled semiconductor switching device having an input terminal and a control terminal; said transmission signal driver being configured such that, given inactivation of said field-controlled semiconductor switching device, the transmission signal can be generated and fed to said input terminal of said field-controlled semiconductor switching device such that a target potential of the transmission signal is one of substantially equal to and lower than the relatively lower electrical potential of the driver signal; and said field-controlled semiconductor switching device being one of inactivatable and inactivated due to an electrical potential difference between said input terminal and said control terminal.