Patent ID: 6972570

Claim:
A ballast testing and monitoring apparatus for quick connection to a fluorescent lamp assembly having a lamp system ballast and at least one fluorescent lamp, said apparatus comprising: a casing having a plurality of light sources spaced apart along a top surface thereof; a test circuit positioned in said casing; a memory electrically connected to said test circuit; means for releasably electrically connecting said test circuit to a primary power source; means for releasably electrically connecting said test circuit to said lamp assembly ballast and to said at least one lamp; means in said test circuit for obtaining startup voltage data from said lamp assembly ballast for evaluation indicative of operability of said lamp assembly ballast; and means in said test circuit for storing a ballast fault record in said memory if said evaluated startup voltage data indicates inoperability of said lamp assembly ballast; said casing defines a plurality of apertures; said means for releasably electrically connecting said test circuit to said lamp assembly ballast includes a wire clip assembly situated in said casing, said wire clip assembly including: a first set of wire receiving clips positioned in accordance with respective casing apertures, each of said first set of wire receiving clips being configured to releasably receive a wire from said lamp system ballast; and a second set of wire receiving clips spaced from said first set of wire receiving clips and positioned in accordance with said respective casing apertures, each of said second set of wire receiving clips configured to releasably receive a wire from said at least one lamp; a secondary power source electrically connected to said test circuit, said secondary power source energizing said test circuit when said primary power source is disabled; wherein said secondary power source is a capacitor, said capacitor being charged when said primary power source is enabled; means in said test circuit for obtaining lamp voltage test data from said at least one lamp when said secondary power source is enabled and said primary power source is disabled for evaluation indicative of operability of said at least one lamp; and means in said test circuit for storing a lamp fault record in said memory if said evaluated lamp voltage test data indicates inoperability of said at least one lamp.