Patent ID: 7468586
Filing Date: 2008-12-23
Classification: H05B,Y02B

Abstract:
1. A ballast for powering at least one gas discharge lamp, the ballast comprising: an AC-to-DC converter having an input for receiving an AC supply voltage and an output for providing a DC rail voltage; an inverter coupled to the AC-to-DC converter, the inverter having a normal operating frequency, the inverter comprising: (i) first and second inverter transistors; (ii) a first base drive circuit coupled to the first inverter transistor; (iii) a second base drive circuit coupled to the second inverter transistor; (iv) an inverter ground; and (v) an inverter startup circuit coupled to the AC-to-DC converter, the second inverter transistor, and the inverter ground; an output circuit coupled to the inverter, the output circuit comprising: an arc protection circuit coupled to the inverter and to the output circuit, the arc protection circuit comprising: