Circuit arrangement for powering a load

摘要

A circuit arrangement for powering a load having n terminals includes n branches. One of the terminals of the load is switchably connected to a first or a second terminal of a voltage source by each of the branches resulting in a voltage vector having n components being applied to the load. The vector components can each assume two values based on the voltage of the voltage source. A control circuit sets the n components of the voltage vector to one of the two values. When all n components assume the same value within some portion of a given period of time (referred to as null vector) and provided that at least one of the components of the voltage vector during this given period of time reamins at this same value, the control circuit sets all components of the voltage vector to the other value so as to form a second null vector. The circuit arrangement prevents a voltage on a terminal of the load from being sustained at a given voltage beyond a given period of time without corrective action being taken.