A ballast circuit for a lighting system using an induction fluorescent lamp, comprising: an AC-DC rectification circuit; a DC-DC boost power conversion circuit coupled to the AC-DC rectification circuit; a DC-AC half bridge inverter circuit coupled to the DC-DC boost power conversion circuit; and a resonating circuit to ignite the lamp and maintain substantially constant power output of the lamp; characterized in that the DC-AC half bridge inverter circuit is further comprised of a gate isolation transformer, a ballast integrated circuit, a high side MOSFET, and a low side MOSFET; wherein the ballast integrated circuit drives the high side MOSFET and the low side MOSFET; and wherein the gate isolation transformer electrically isolates a gate signal to the high side MOSFET; the ballast circuit further comprising a driver circuit, wherein the gate isolation transformer is part of the driver circuit and the driver circuit further comprises: a coupling capacitor placed in series between high output signal pin of the ballast integrated circuit and a first terminal of the primary side of the isolation gate transformer; a gate resistor and a gate-source resistor; and a diode connected in parallel across the gate resistor, wherein a cathode of the diode is connected to a first terminal of the secondary side of the isolation gate transformer and an anode of the diode is connected to the gate-source resistor, said gate-source resistor is connected across the gate and the source of the high side MOSFET; wherein a second terminal of the primary side of the isolation gate transformer is connected to a digital ground; and wherein a second terminal of the secondary side of the isolation gate transformer is connected to the source of the high side MOSFET. an AC-DC rectification circuit; a DC-DC boost power conversion circuit coupled to the AC-DC rectification circuit; a DC-AC half bridge inverter circuit coupled to the DC-DC boost power conversion circuit; and a resonating circuit to ignite the lamp and maintain substantially constant power output of the lamp; characterized in that the DC-AC half bridge inverter circuit is further comprised of a gate isolation transformer, a ballast integrated circuit, a high side MOSFET, and a low side MOSFET; wherein the ballast integrated circuit drives the high side MOSFET and the low side MOSFET; and wherein the gate isolation transformer electrically isolates a gate signal to the high side MOSFET; the ballast circuit further comprising a driver circuit, wherein the gate isolation transformer is part of the driver circuit and the driver circuit further comprises: a coupling capacitor placed in series between high output signal pin of the ballast integrated circuit and a first terminal of the primary side of the isolation gate transformer; a gate resistor and a gate-source resistor; and a diode connected in parallel across the gate resistor, wherein a cathode of the diode is connected to a first terminal of the secondary side of the isolation gate transformer and an anode of the diode is connected to the gate-source resistor, said gate-source resistor is connected across the gate and the source of the high side MOSFET; a coupling capacitor placed in series between high output signal pin of the ballast integrated circuit and a first terminal of the primary side of the isolation gate transformer; a gate resistor and a gate-source resistor; and a diode connected in parallel across the gate resistor, wherein a cathode of the diode is connected to a first terminal of the secondary side of the isolation gate transformer and an anode of the diode is connected to the gate-source resistor, said gate-source resistor is connected across the gate and the source of the high side MOSFET; wherein a second terminal of the primary side of the isolation gate transformer is connected to a digital ground; and wherein a second terminal of the secondary side of the isolation gate transformer is connected to the source of the high side MOSFET.