The invention relates to a protective circuit (1) for a device or power
circuit breaker comprising, • an active controllable component (B1) which can be controlled in a
linear range, • at least one measuring device (S P , S U , S i , S Uin , S Uout ) to determine a
power output that is implemented in the actively controllable component (B1), • a
processing unit (uC), • where an
energy equivalent can be determined based on the specified power and a time between two measurements, • where time-separated energy equivalents are combined by the
processing unit (uC), • where at least two time-related limit values (G t1 , G t2 , ... G tn ) are planned, • where, upon reaching and / or exceeding a
limit value (G t1 , G t2 , ... G tn) by an
energy equivalent or the combined energy equivalents in a
limit value (G t1 , G t2 , ... G tn ) assigned time the active controllable component (B1) is controlled by the
processing unit (uC) in such a way that the current flow through. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method.