Patent ID: 6480176
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: G09G

Abstract:
A driver circuit for driving a plasma display panel formed of cells arranged in a matrix of lines and columns, said driver circuit comprising:a set of driver output stages having outputs connected to line or column electrodes which are each connected to a first electrode of cells of a same line or a same column, respectively; and detection means for detecting a short circuit between two of the outputs of the driver output stages, wherein the detection means includes: a shunt resistor connected between a first node common to all of the driver output stages and one of a high voltage power supply source and ground; and comparison means for comparing the voltage drop across the terminals of the shunt resistor with a predetermined threshold, the comparison means delivering a short circuit detection signal based on the result of the comparison, and the value of the shunt resistor is low so as not to increase prohibitively the resistance of the driver output stages.