
3/ AUXILIARY POWER SUPPLY:
In order to reduce the number of components, an auxiliary power supply is integrated in the ASD
.This
active power supply works directly on the mains and requires only a low voltage capacitor 16V - 22
F. This
output capacitor is charged at the beginning and the end of each positive mains half cycle.
During the preheat period, a part of the current flowing through the ASD is used to charge the output
capacitor, so there is no line current distortion.
When the tube is ignited, the power supply capacitor is periodically recharged by the ASD in order to allow
proper tube supervision by the whole starter kit.
4/ THE DRIVER: FUNCTIONNAL DESCRIPTION
ALGORITHM
1. At switch on:
At switch on, an integrated Under Voltage
Lock-Out function (UVLO) resets the driver as long
as the supply voltage stays below a security level.
2. Pre-heat:
The ignition sequence begins with the preheat.
Two different durations can be selected with PIN 2
(Pre-heat select).
PIN 2 connected to GND
If Pin 2 = GND, preheat = 1.5s.
PIN 2 connected to VCC
If Pin 2 = Vcc, preheat = 2.5s.
During the preheat,the driver maintains the ASD in
a full ON-state, thus making the starter equivalent
to a conducting switch.
3. Ignition of the fluorescent tube:
At the end of the pre-heat period, the starter strikes the fluorescent tube.
For that, the driver reads continuouslythe current through the starter. When the current reaches the Switch
Off level (ISO=350mA), the driver turns off the ASD. This induces a high voltage pulse across the tube. This
pulse is limited by the ASD breakdown voltage (
≈1350V).
4. If the tube fails to strike:
The driver detects the state of the tube (on or off). If it stays off during 8 mains cycles (loop 1), a new
pre-heat period, shorter than the first one, starts again (loop 3), followed by a new ignition attempt. The
driver will try to fire the tube 8 times. If none of the 8 attempts succeeds in striking the tube, the driver turns
in stand-by mode, and the whole starter is fully stopped until the next mains removal and power supply
reset.
5. If the tube is ignited:
If the tube is ignited, the driver stays in stand-by mode while monitoring the state of the tube (loop 2).The
ASD applies a shorthigh voltage pulse (
1mJ)at the beginningof eachpositivehalf cycle. If somespurious
cut off occurs on the mains (micro sags), the lamp turns off momentarly. This short pulse is enough to
sustain the arc in the lamp, avoiding a new complete ignition sequence.
During normal operation of the tube, this short pulse is masked by the tube conduction. If the mains
interruption is really long enough to turn off completly the lamp, a new ignition sequence starts again (loop
3) with 8 other new possible attempts.
AC MAINS ON
UVLO
RESET
Pre-heat
1.5s or 2.5s
Strike
Attempt = Attempt + 1
Pre-heat
0.75s or 1.25s
Attempt <8
YES
NO
Loop 3
Loop 2
Tube
Ignited?
Fail = Fail + 1
Fail = 8
Fail = 0
Fail = 8
Autosupply
Fail = 0
Attempt = 0
EFS
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