An advanced sustaining technology for plasma display panel using voltage-balancing method

A cost-effective plasma display panel (PDP) sustainer employing current injection method (CIM) for energy recovery is proposed. Using a voltage-balancing technique, driver cost can be reduced by about 20%-30% compared with that of the conventional H-bridge driver by using low-voltage switches. The energy recovery performance can be improved by the current that is built up before the energy recovery operation. This buildup current is utilized to change the polarity of the panel electrode and provides additional variable to determine pulse slopes. Experimental results show that the voltage stress of switches connected in series is identically clamped to sustain voltage during sustain operation and that light is emitted more stably by independent control of the rising and falling slopes using CIM. Therefore, the proposed sustainer is expected to be suitable for a low-cost PDP sustaining driver requiring stable discharge characteristics.