The invention relates to an operating device (1), comprising: a first
microcontroller (C1) with at least one first measuring input (DIO1), which is designed to detect a measuring potential present at the first measuring input (DIO1) and to output a respective associated detection result dependent on the respective measuring potential; a
voltage source with a supply
voltage predetermined by two supply potentials (U, GND); a
resistor network (W) supplied with the supply
voltage, wherein the first measuring input (DIO1) is electrically conductively connected to a first tap (A1) on the
resistor network (W); at least one switching element (S1, S2) integrated in the
resistor network (W), the switching state of which is changed from at least two switching states by operation of an operator;wherein the resistance network (W) is designed such that a different switching potential applied to the first measuring input (DIO1) is assigned to the respective switching state, wherein preferably at least one switching potential differs from the supply potentials (U, GND); a second
microcontroller (C2) superordinate to the first
microcontroller (C1), which is designed to receive the respective detection result of the first microcontroller (C1) and to output it to a superordinate
control unit (U); at least one
active component (ES1, ES2) controllable by the first microcontroller (C1) and / or second microcontroller (C2) and integrated into the resistance network (W), which is controlled such that an interference potential with a predetermined temporal profile is applied as the measuring potential applied to the first measuring input (DIO1);wherein the second microcontroller (C2) is designed to at least temporarily suppress a subsequent output of the detection result to the higher-level
control unit (U) in the event that the detection result of the first microcontroller (C1) does not correspond to the predetermined temporal profile of the interference potential during the control of the at least one
active component (ES1, ES2), and an associated use and a method.;