The present invention provides a
discharge device (1) for discharging a high-
voltage circuit, the
discharge device comprising: an
inverter output stage (2) having at least one half-bridge (3a, 3b, 3c), the half-bridge including series-connected
semiconductor switches (4a, 5a, 4b, 5b, 4c, 5c) with associated drive circuits (6a, 7a, 6b, 7b, 6c, 7c); and a processor (12) connected via an interface to the drive circuits (6a, 7a, 6b, 7b, 6c, 7c) of the
inverter output stage (2), wherein each
semiconductor switch (4a, 5a, 4b, 5b, 4c, 5c) has a control input terminal (8a, 9a, 8b, 9b, 8c, 9c) designed for receiving signals from the
inverter output stage. (2) The associated drive circuits (6a, 7a, 6b, 7b, 6c, 7c) receive drive signals. The drive circuits (6a, 7a, 6b, 7b, 6c, 7c) of the inverter output stage (2) respectively include safety logic circuits (10a, 11a, 10b, 11b, 10c, 11c). The safety logic circuits are designed to receive configuration signals from the processor (12) of the
discharge device (1) through an interface. The configuration signals configure the drive signals to discharge the high-
voltage circuit. The drive signals are to be output through the drive circuits (6a, 7a, 6b, 7b, 6c, 7c) to the associated control input terminals (8a, 9a, 8b, 9b, 8c, 9c) of the
semiconductor switches (4a, 5a, 4b, 5b, 4c, 5c).