Abstract: To provide an electric or electronic circuit arrangement (100) and a method of protecting at least a chip arrangement (200), for example, at least a (semiconductor) chip arrangement, particularly at least a controller chip arrangement for a chip card or smart card from manipulation and/or abuse, in which an optical attack by means of light irradiation on a controller chip arrangement itself and on a dielectric coating, particularly an insulating layer and/or passivation layer and/or further protective coating covering the controller chip arrangement for protecting the integrated circuit from external influences, both on the front side of the controller chip arrangement and on the substantially unprotected rear side of the controller chip arrangement can be reliably and permanently averted,

Abstract: To provide an electric or electronic circuit arrangement (100), it is proposed that at least one signal-generating unit (40), particularly at least an oscillator unit is connected to the contact terminals (22, 27) of the integrated circuit, the output frequency (fmeas.) of which unit is substantially determined by the specific capacitance (C), the signal-generating unit (40) precedes at least a first counting unit (50) which is clocked at the output frequency (fmeas.