Forced oscillation in LC circuit used for the ignition of discharge lamps

A practical method to reduce device strain in the ballast prior to the discharge process (at the high voltage stage) is presented. An ignitor for high-intensity discharge lamps based on forced oscillation via an external periodic voltage square wave supplied by an inverter digitally controlled is presented. The frequency and amplitude of the ignition voltage of an LC parallel resonant circuit are determined by the design of the proposed ignitor, as shown. Thus, the ignition is achieved without excessive voltage applied to the lamp.