Patent ID: 6445142
Filing Date: 2002-09-03
Classification: H05B

Abstract:
An apparatus for remotely detecting and indicating whether a ballast driving a fluorescent lamp is of the magnetic type, comprising:a light sensor that receives light emitted by the fluorescent lamp having a flicker frequency and, in response, produces an output signal having an output frequency proportional to the flicker frequency of the emitted light; a voltage detector, electrically coupled to the light sensor, that converts the output signal into a digital signal stream having a pulse frequency proportional to the output frequency of the output signal; a microcontroller, electrically coupled to the voltage detector, that determines whether the pulse frequency of the digital signal stream is between predetermined high and low threshold levels, wherein a first indicator signal indicating the presence of a magnetic ballast is produced as a first output of the microcontroller when the pulse frequency of the digital signal stream is determined to be between the threshold levels; and at least one power supply for the light sensor, the voltage detector and the microcontroller.