PROTECTION FOR SWITCHED ELECTRONIC DEVICES

A method, comprising: coupling a high-side switching transistor (QHS) between a high-side reference node (Vs) and a switching node (VOUT), coupling a low-side switching transistor (QLS) between the switching node (VOUT) and a low-side reference node (GND); coupling an inductive load (L, ZL) to the switching node (VOUT) and to a reference node among the high-side reference node (Vs) and the low-side reference node (GND), arranging the respective high-side switch (QHS) or low-side switch (QLS) to be freewheeling as a result, coupling an inductive load (L, ZL) to the switching node (VOUT) and to a reference node selected out of the high-side reference node (Vs) and the low-side reference node (GND), with a respective one of the high-side switching transistor (QHS) or low-side switching transistor (QLS) being freewheeling as a result, and in response to a short circuit occurring at the switching node (VOUT) with the respective freewheeling switching transistor (QHS, QLS) in the conductive state: sensing (22; MS) an electrical signal (VOUT; IHS; ILS) at the switching node (VOUT), performing a comparison (22) between the electrical signal (VOUT; IHS; ILS) sensed at the switching node (VOUT) and a threshold level (IREF, VTH, 23; 23A), and providing a driving signal (CMP; 24, 26, 21) to the control node of the respective freewheeling switching transistor to switch the respective freewheeling switching transistor (QHS, QLS) to the non-conductive state as a result of the comparison indicating that the electrical signal (IHS; ILS) has reached the threshold level (IREF, VTH, 23; 23A).