Drive circuit with the top-level shifter for transmitting an input signal and associated method

Drive circuit (10) with the top-level shifter (80) for transmitting an input signal (IN) from a control logic (20) with the primary side reference potential to a top drive (40) independent from the primary side reference potential secondary side reference potential, wherein the top-level shifter (80 ) is formed as an arrangement of a pulse generating circuit (82), an UP (84) and a DOWN (86) level shifter, and a downstream signal evaluation circuit (88), the UP level shifter (84) valid control signals to the associated inputs of the signal evaluation circuit (88) outputs, when the secondary-side reference potential (gnd_hs) slightly lower, nearly equal to or higher than the primary-side reference potential (gnd_pri) and the DOWN level (86) outputs a valid control signals to the associated inputs of the signal evaluation circuit (88) when the secondary-side reference potential (gnd_hs) slightly higher, almost equal to or niedri is ger than the primary-side reference potential (gnd_pri).