WO2001087020A1 - Universal ballast control circuit - Google Patents

Universal ballast control circuit Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001087020A1
WO2001087020A1 PCT/CA2000/000462 CA0000462W WO0187020A1 WO 2001087020 A1 WO2001087020 A1 WO 2001087020A1 CA 0000462 W CA0000462 W CA 0000462W WO 0187020 A1 WO0187020 A1 WO 0187020A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
voltage signal
waveform
signal
control circuit
voltage
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/CA2000/000462
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Alexei Bogdan
Marc Oliver Hoffknecht
Original Assignee
Lumion Corporation
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lumion Corporation filed Critical Lumion Corporation
Priority to PCT/CA2000/000462 priority Critical patent/WO2001087020A1/en
Priority to AU47361/00A priority patent/AU4736100A/en
Publication of WO2001087020A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001087020A1/en

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Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05BELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B41/00Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
    • H05B41/14Circuit arrangements
    • H05B41/36Controlling
    • H05B41/38Controlling the intensity of light
    • H05B41/39Controlling the intensity of light continuously
    • H05B41/392Controlling the intensity of light continuously using semiconductor devices, e.g. thyristor
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H03ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03KPULSE TECHNIQUE
    • H03K4/00Generating pulses having essentially a finite slope or stepped portions
    • H03K4/06Generating pulses having essentially a finite slope or stepped portions having triangular shape
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H03ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03KPULSE TECHNIQUE
    • H03K4/00Generating pulses having essentially a finite slope or stepped portions
    • H03K4/06Generating pulses having essentially a finite slope or stepped portions having triangular shape
    • H03K4/08Generating pulses having essentially a finite slope or stepped portions having triangular shape having sawtooth shape
    • H03K4/48Generating pulses having essentially a finite slope or stepped portions having triangular shape having sawtooth shape using as active elements semiconductor devices
    • H03K4/50Generating pulses having essentially a finite slope or stepped portions having triangular shape having sawtooth shape using as active elements semiconductor devices in which a sawtooth voltage is produced across a capacitor
    • H03K4/501Generating pulses having essentially a finite slope or stepped portions having triangular shape having sawtooth shape using as active elements semiconductor devices in which a sawtooth voltage is produced across a capacitor the starting point of the flyback period being determined by the amplitude of the voltage across the capacitor, e.g. by a comparator
    • H03K4/502Generating pulses having essentially a finite slope or stepped portions having triangular shape having sawtooth shape using as active elements semiconductor devices in which a sawtooth voltage is produced across a capacitor the starting point of the flyback period being determined by the amplitude of the voltage across the capacitor, e.g. by a comparator the capacitor being charged from a constant-current source

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to lighting ballasts and in particular to a universal ballast control circuit for controlling the operation of a wide range of gas discharge lamp types.
  • microcontroller driven electronic ballasts typically use microcontrollers to adjust the characteristics of the inverter voltage signal to accommodate a wide variety of lamps and /or to provide dimming functionality. Specifically, by changing the frequency or duty cycle of the inverter voltage signal, these electronic ballasts are able to start, run and dim a wide variety of gas discharge lamps.
  • ballasts such as the one disclosed by United States Patent No. 5,039,921 to Kakitani uses a central processing unit (CPU) to control the frequency of the inverter voltage signal to change lamp voltage.
  • CPU central processing unit
  • the Kakitani patent describes a ballast which can be adapted to light and drive various types of gas discharge lamps according to each lamp's individual rating.
  • the control circuit employs the CPU to detect the rating of the discharge lamp based on the lamp's starting voltage and to retrieve stored lamp loading data from memory relating to the type of discharge lamp detected.
  • the oscillating frequency of the inverter circuit voltage signal is then adjusted so that the ballast produces a power voltage signal suited to the particular discharge lamp.
  • ballasts such as the one disclosed by United Stated Patent No. 5,569,984 to Holtstag use a microprocessor to control the switching frequency and the pulse width of the inverter voltage signal provided to a particular lamp to avoid strong acoustic resonances or arc instabilities.
  • the microprocessor evaluates deviation of electrical lamp parameters to detect arc instabilities and adjusts the frequency and pulse width in response. Accordingly, the ballast can operate HID lamps of different types, wattages and manufacturers over a broad frequency range despite the occurrence of acoustic resonance /arc instabilities among these lamps.
  • microcontrollers provide discreet output, when digital output levels are provided to a lamp, sudden incremental changes in the lumen output are produced. These discrete “steps" in light intensity are visible to users and are unacceptable in commercial and residential environments. Even when the microcontroller is programmed to dim a lamp in relatively small increments, dimming a lamp using a digital signal still results in visible steps. Finally, in order to provide sufficient power supply to the microcontroller, either a drop-down resistor or a dedicated off-line power supply circuitry is used. The problem with using a simple voltage-drop resistor is that the heat and high frequency noise which are generated are very difficult to suppress. On the other hand, a separate off-line power supply adds substantial expense to the product.
  • the present invention provides a universal ballast control circuit for use with a power circuit coupled to an AC source for outputting a high frequency AC signal and a coupling circuit coupled to the power circuit for applying the AC signal to any one of a plurality of gas discharge lamp types, said control circuit comprising: (a) a generator for generating a periodic analog voltage signal having a first waveform;
  • a comparator for comparing the periodic analog voltage signal with at least one DC voltage and for generating a control voltage signal for varying the duty cycle and frequency of the AC signal.
  • the present invention provides a method of powering any one of a plurality of gas discharge lamp types, each lamp type having a predetermined set of lamp characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:
  • the present invention provides a method of powering any one of a plurality of gas discharge lamp types, each lamp type having a predetermined set of lamp characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:
  • Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a typical prior art microcontroller-based electronic lighting ballast
  • Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the present invention
  • Fig. 3 is a waveform timing diagram showing the control voltage signal V c which is produced when a DC voltage signal V D is compared with a periodic voltage signal V P in the present invention
  • Fig. 4A is a circuit diagram of the digital-to-analog converter of the present invention.
  • Fig. 4B is another circuit implementation of the digital-to-analog converter of the present invention.
  • Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of an implementation of the control circuit of the present invention in which the microcontroller and two digital-to- analog converters provide DC signals Noci anc ⁇ V DC2 which are used to vary the duty cycle and frequency of the control voltage signal N c ;
  • Fig. 6 is another implementation of the control circuit in which two DC voltage signals V DC1 an N DC2 are used to control the duty cycle and the frequency of the control voltage signal N c by controlling the rate of charging and discharging of capacitor C ⁇ ;
  • Fig. 7 A is a waveform timing diagram showing the periodic voltage signal N P and control voltage signal N c of Fig. 6;
  • Fig. 7B is a waveform timing diagram showing the DC voltage signal N DC1 of Fig. 6;
  • Fig. 7C is a waveform timing diagram showing the DC voltage signal V D c2 °f Fig- 6;
  • Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram illustrating how the microcontroller can be powered using a half-bridge driver
  • Fig. 9 is a circuit diagram illustrating how the microcontroller can be powered using a boost inductor
  • Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram illustrating how the microcontroller can be powered using a miniature switch mode power supply
  • Fig. 11 is a circuit diagram of the control circuit of the present invention for achieving power factor correction.
  • ballast 10 includes a bridge rectifier 12, a boost converter 14, an inverter 16, resonance network 18, and a microcontroller 20. Ballast 10 is used to power a lamp 22 as is conventionally known.
  • Bridge rectifier 12 is coupled to a typical AC power line voltage of
  • a rectifier consisting of diodes provides a full-wave rectified DC voltage of about 160 Volts across its output.
  • Bridge rectifier 12 may also include an EMI filter for insulating the power lines from interference generated by ballast 10.
  • Boost converter 14 is coupled to the output of bridge rectifier 12 and is used to boost and control the input DC voltage provided by bridge rectifier 12 such that appropriate power is provided to lamp 22.
  • Boost converter 14 provides regulated voltage to inverter 16.
  • Inverter 16 is a voltage-fed half-bridge DC-AC inverter which is used to convert the input DC voltage received from boost converter 14 into high frequency AC voltage.
  • Half-bridge inverter 16 typically includes a half-bridge MOSFET driver 17 and MOSFET transistors Q A and Q B at its output, although many other implementations are possible (i.e. using bipolar transistors).
  • MOSFET driver 17 is typically implemented using an integrated circuit such as IR2104 manufactured by International Rectifier.
  • Transistors Q A and Q B produce an inverter voltage signal which is a high frequency generally square wave signal, as is familiar to those skilled in the art. The high frequency signal generated by transistors Q A and Q B is applied to resonance network 18.
  • Resonance network 18 is directly coupled to lamp 22 and is commonly used to avoid the necessity of an output transformer.
  • Resonance network 18 typically includes an LCC network of capacitors and inductors which provides waveshaping and current limiting to produce a substantial sinusoidal lamp current for lamp 22. Ballast designers choose an optimal inverter frequency and optimal values of LCC circuit inductance and capacitance to create proper currents and voltages across the lamp as well as to produce an economical ballast configuration.
  • the LCC network also functions as an igniter to ignite the lamp upon initial application of power to ballast 10.
  • Microcontroller 20 is used to control the operating frequency or duty cycle of the inverter voltage signal.
  • ballast 10 In order for ballast 10 to properly operate lamp 22, ballast 10 must be able to produce certain voltage and current characteristics which are suited to a lamp's particular characteristics. When lamp 22 has been struck and is in full operation, its running voltage must be within its manufacturer's specified range. Typically, ballast 10 would be designed to provide a voltage between 35 and 130 volts (rms) for running operation of lamp 22. Particular voltages must be provided across the filaments of lamp 22 during the course of lamp operation. Further, the current flowing through lamp 22 must also be such that lamp 22 can be safely run.
  • a sufficient striking (or ignition) voltage must be applied to lamp 22, such that the pressurized gas ignites into plasma form and forms a plasma thread.
  • the provision of all of these voltage and current characteristics is accomplished by controlling the operation of half-bridge MOSFET driver 17 which in turn drives transistors Q T1 and Q I2 of inverter 16. By controlling the duration and frequency that transistors Qn and Q I2 are conductive, microcontroller 20 can ensure that ballast 110 provides the proper striking, running and dimming of lamp 22.
  • ballast 10 in order for ballast 10 to provide the above discussed circuit conditions, microcontroller 20 must operate at a high-speed to produce a sufficient number of control levels. If microcontroller operates at too low a speed, then ballast 10 will not be able to accurately provide the various current and voltage characteristics which are necessary for proper running and dimming of lamp 22. As an illustration, consider a typical low-speed 8-pin microcontroller such as the PIC12C508 from Microchip Technology. If this microcontroller 20 is configured to directly drive the output half-bridge inverter 16 of ballast 10, it will result in inaccurate operation of ballast 10. The nominal frequency of the PIC12C508 microcontroller 20 is 4 MHz, a typical value for this slower class of microcontrollers.
  • a digital voltage level can be provided to inverter 16 to change the current and voltage characteristics of resonance network 18.
  • fluorescent electronic ballasts operate in a frequency range between 20 kHz to 60 kHz.
  • the duration of the half-cycle pulse T 1 2 of the inverter voltage is:
  • Control circuit 126 is designed to utilize a relatively inexpensive microcontroller 120 to control the inverter voltage signal to start, run and dim a wide range of lamp types.
  • Common elements between ballast 110 and the prior art ballast 10 will be denoted by the same numerals with one hundred added thereto.
  • ballast 110 includes a bridge rectifier 112, a boost converter 114, an inverter 116, resonance network 118, a microcontroller 120 as previously discussed.
  • Ballast 110 also comprises control circuit 126 which uses a low-speed microcontroller 120 for proper operation of ballast
  • Control circuit 126 provides an analog control voltage signal V c to half-bridge MOSFET driver 117 which in turn drives MOSFET transistors Q A and Q B .
  • Control circuit 126 comprises microcontroller 120 periodic signal generator 128, a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter 130 and a comparator 132.
  • D/A digital-to-analog
  • Microcontroller 120 of the present invention can be a conventional low-cost microprocessor such as PIC12C508 from Microchip Technology. Microcontroller 120 generates digital voltage signals V D1 and V D2 which are input into control circuit 126.
  • Periodic voltage signal generator 128 receives digital voltage signal V D2 from microcontroller 120 and generates a periodic voltage signal V P . While any periodic voltage signal can be used within control circuit 126, the inventor has determined that a sawtooth waveform is preferable as a sawtooth generator can be implemented by a simple and low cost circuit. For example, a conventional timer integrated circuit (e.g. a 555 timer circuit or an IR5155 oscillator circuit) configured with appropriate resistive and capacitor elements attached to various pin inputs and outputs generates a sawtooth waveform, as is conventionally known and as will be discussed.
  • a conventional timer integrated circuit e.g. a 555 timer circuit or an IR5155 oscillator circuit
  • D/A converter 130 converts the digital voltage signal V D1 produced by microcontroller 120 into an analog voltage signal V D c ⁇ - D/A converter 130 is preferably implemented using an integrating capacitor , either a series or parallel connected resistor Rj and an appropriately oriented diode D j as shown in Figs. 4A and 4B, to form a conventional integrator circuit. It has been determined that it is preferable to use the circuits of Fig. 4A and 4B instead of conventionally available D/A integrated circuits to ensure that a wide range of analog signals can be produced cost effectively.
  • comparator 132 is a general-purpose comparator integrated circuit such as the LM393 integrated circuit manufactured by Linear Technology. As shown, the DC voltage signal V D 1 being output by the D/A converter 130 is provided to the positive input of comparator 132 and the periodic voltage signal V P is provided to the negative input of comparator 132. Comparator 132 produces a control voltage signal V c waveform having a duty cycle DC and a frequency f c as shown in Fig. 3.
  • Control voltage duty cycle DC ⁇ is dependant on the comparative values of the DC voltage signal V DC1 and the periodic voltage signal V P . It will be seen from Fig. 3 that when periodic voltage V P exceeds V D ci / control voltage V c goes high and while periodic voltage V P is less than DC voltage signal V DC1 , control voltage V c goes low. Accordingly, control voltage duty cycle DC C can be varied by adjusting the value of the DC voltage signal V D 1 or by changing the digital voltage signal V D1 generated by microcontroller 120.
  • control voltage frequency f c is equivalent to the frequency of the periodic voltage signal V P . Accordingly, the control voltage frequency f c can be varied by controlling the frequency of the periodic voltage signal V P .
  • One way of accomplishing this is by using the DC voltage signal V DC2 from microcontroller 120 to control the current source of the periodic voltage signal generator 128 as will be discussed below.
  • Fig. 5 shows one possible circuit implementation of control circuit 126 in which both the control voltage duty cycle DC C and the control voltage frequency f are varied using a periodic voltage signal generator 128, a controller 129, and a comparator 132.
  • Controller 129 includes microcontroller 120 and D/A converters
  • Microcontroller 120 outputs two separate digital control voltages V D1 and V D2 into D/A converters D/Aj and D/A 2 , respectively which in turn convert them into DC voltage signals V DC1 and Nrj > c 2 - D voltage signal V DC1 is input into the positive input of comparator 132 and DC voltage signal V D 2 is used to control the current source of the periodic voltage signal generator 128.
  • DC voltage signal V D ci it is possible to control the control voltage duty cycle DC C being output by comparator 132 as previously described.
  • V DC2 By varying the DC voltage signal V DC2 , it is possible to control the control voltage frequency f , as will be discussed.
  • Periodic voltage signal generator 128 generates a sawtooth waveform using timer IC T , resistors Rj and R 2 , capacitor C ⁇ , and transistor Q x .
  • Timer IC T is a conventional timer integrated circuit such as a 555 timer circuit or an IR5155 oscillator circuit.
  • RESET (pin 4) and VCC (pin 8) are connected to running voltage V DD .
  • TRIGGER (pin 2), THRESHOLD (pin 6) and DISCHARGE (pin 7) of timer IC T are coupled at node A to a grounded timing capacitor C ⁇ .
  • Transistor Qj has its collector connected to node A and its emitter connected to voltage V cc through resistor R ⁇ . Accordingly, periodic voltage signal V P having a sawtooth waveform is generated at the collector of transistor as is conventionally known.
  • the current source comprising resistor R j and transistor Q 1 powered by voltage V cc serves to stabilize the charge current on capacitor C
  • timer IC T When the periodic voltage signal V P THRESHOLD (pin 6) rises above 2/3 V DD , timer IC T shorts capacitor C ⁇ to ground at DISCHARGE (pin 7) through its internal discharge transistor. When the periodic voltage signal V P at THRESHOLD (pin 6) falls below 1 /3 V DD , the internal discharge transistor in timer IC T is disabled and capacitor C ⁇ begins to recharge from V cc through resistor R 1 and transistor Q : . In this way, timer IC T can be configured to operate as an astable multivibrator such that a periodic voltage signal V P is produced across capacitor C ⁇ .
  • the current source comprising resistor R lf transistor Q 1 voltage V c can be considered to operate as a variable impedance having a linear characteristic when V DC2 is applied to the base of Q the duty cycle of the control voltage signal V c will not be affected by changes in DC signal V D c 2 .
  • Control circuit 126 which uses microcontroller 120 to independently control the control signal duty cycle DC and the control signal frequency f c of control voltage signal V c with digital voltage signals V D1 and V D2 .
  • Control circuit 126 comprises controller 129, timer circuit IC T , transistors Q x and Q 2 , resistor R and timing capacitor C ⁇ .
  • Controller 129 comprises microcontroller 120 and two D/A converters D/A ⁇ and D/A 2 .
  • D/A converters D/Aj and D/A convert digital voltage signals V D ⁇ and V D from microcontroller 120 into DC voltage signals V DC1 and V D 2/ respectively.
  • Each DC voltage signal V D c ⁇ and V DC2 controls the operation of transistors Q 1 and Q 2 , respectively, to vary the duty cycle and frequency of periodic voltage signal V P as will be described.
  • Timer IC T is a conventional timer (e.g. a 555 timer) powered by voltage V DD and utilized as a simple oscillator in the present circuit.
  • the schematic and written description of the 555 timer circuit provided by "Microelectronic Circuits” Third Edition by Adel Sedra and Kenneth C. Smith (at pages 875 to 880) is hereby incorporated by reference.
  • Timer IC T compares the periodic voltage signal V P at THRESHOLD (pin 6) with two internally generated threshold voltages namely 1/3 V DD an d 2/3 V D D- THRESHOLD (pin 6) of timer IC T is connected to the common collector junction of transistors and Q 2 and to ground through timer capacitor C ⁇ .
  • OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer IC T produces the control voltage V c of control circuit 126.
  • a periodic voltage signal V P with a triangular-type waveform is generated at the common collector junction.
  • periodic voltage signal V P is greater than 2/3 N DD at THRESHOLD (pin 6)
  • internal circuitry of timer IC T will cause OUTPUT (pin 3) to go high.
  • periodic voltage signal N P is lower than 1/3 N DD at THRESHOLD (pin 6)
  • internal circuitry of timer IC T will cause OUTPUT (pin 3) will go low.
  • control voltage signal N c is controlled by the voltage characteristics (i.e. duty cycle and frequency) of periodic voltage signal N P .
  • Transistors Qj and Q are coupled to ground through timing capacitor C ⁇ and to the output of control circuit 126 through resistor Rj.
  • Transistors Q : and Q 2 are controlled by DC voltage signals Noci an d V D c .2> respectively.
  • Resistor Rj and control voltage signal V act as either a current source for transistor Q ⁇ or a current sink for transistor Q 2 , depending on the polarity of control voltage signal V c .
  • the collectors of transistors Q x and Q 2 are coupled to the ground through capacitor C ⁇ and the emitters of transistors Qj and Q 2 are coupled to the output of control circuit 126 through resistor Rj.
  • transistors Q 1 and Q 2 operate as amplifiers when they are biased in their active region by control voltage signal V c through resistor R 1 and their impedance values can be controlled by DC voltage signals V D c ⁇ and V DC2 , respectively as is conventionally known.
  • control voltage signal V c produced at OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer IC T is controlled by the combined operation and relative impedance of transistors Q 1 and Q 2 .
  • OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer IC T is high, timer capacitor C ⁇ will charge through resistor R 1 and transistor Q 1 until periodic voltage signal V P reaches 2/3 V DD .
  • periodic voltage signal V P at THRESHOLD (pin 6) is 2/3 V DD , timer IC T will force OUTPUT (pin 3) low and capacitor C ⁇ will begin discharging through transistor Q and resistor R : .
  • Capacitor C ⁇ will charge or discharge at a rate based on the relative impedances of transistors Q 1 and Q 2 . That is, if the impedance of transistor Q x is low, capacitor C ⁇ will charge at a higher rate than if the impedance of transistor Q x is high. Similarly if the impedance of transistor Q 2 is high, capacitor C ⁇ will discharge slower than if the impedance of transistor Q is low. That is, the duty cycle and the frequency of the periodic voltage signal V P waveform are determined by the direction and rate of current that flows through timer capacitor C ⁇ .
  • periodic voltage signal V P at THRESHOLD (pin 6) reaches 2/3 V DD and 1/3V DD voltage levels at various times which alters the waveform characteristics of control voltage signal V c at OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer IC T .
  • V P periodic voltage signal
  • a typical periodic voltage signal V P produced at the common collector junction of transistors C ⁇ and Q 2 is shown in Fig. 7A.
  • DC voltage signal V DC1 as shown in Fig. 7B is applied to the base of transistor Q : and DC voltage signal V DC as shown in Fig. 7C is applied to the base of transistor Q 2
  • the control voltage signal V c as shown superimposed on periodic voltage signal V P in Fig. 7A results.
  • DC voltage signal V DC1 is at DC level A (Fig.
  • periodic voltage signal V P causes control voltage signal V at OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer IC T to have a pulse duration of X 1 and a pause duration Y j as shown.
  • DC voltage signal V D c ⁇ i s increased to DC level B (Fig. 7B)
  • increased current flows through transistor Q x when capacitor C ⁇ is charging and thus capacitor C ⁇ is charged at an increased rate.
  • DC voltage signal V DC2 (Fig. 7C) is increased from DC level A' to B ' , increased current flows through transistor Q 2 when capacitor C ⁇ is discharging and thus capacitor C ⁇ is discharged at an increased rate. This results in a shorter pause duration Y 2 , as shown.
  • a low-speed microcontroller 120 can provide sufficient digital voltage signals which can be converted into a wide variety of analog signals that can individually control the charge time and discharge time of timing capacitor C ⁇ .
  • both the control signal duty cycle DC C and the control signal frequency fc can be independently controlled to a wide degree by a relatively low-speed microcontroller 120.
  • the control voltage signals V c are analog, it is possible to modulate illumination levels on a continuously variable basis.
  • Another aspect of the present invention relates to the ability to power microcontroller 120 within a conventional ballast 110 without the conventional disadvantages.
  • Typical microcontroller-based ballasts power microcontroller and other associated control circuity components either through a drop-down resistor which' causes problems associated with heat and high frequency noise or by using a dedicated off-line power supply circuitry which is costly. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a clean high frequency power signal that can be easily filtered and converted to DC voltage sufficient to power the microcontroller 120 and associated control circuitry 126 without the associated problems As illustrated in Fig. 8, the present invention provides power signal
  • inverter 116 contains a MOSFET driver 117 which drives transistors Q A and Q B from a HIGHSIDE MOSFET SIGNAL OUTPUT (pin 11) and a LOWSIDE MOSFET SIGNAL OUTPUT (pin 7).
  • Bootstrap power supply 142 is connected to bootstrap output (pin 12) and FLOATING GROUND POINT (pin 9) of MOSFET driver 117.
  • FLOATING GROUND POINT is connected to the common node of transistors Q A and Q B .
  • POWER SUPPLY (pin 1) of MOSFET driver 117 is fed to the input of bridge rectifier 112 through resistor R BR .
  • Bootstrap power supply 142 provides power signal P s to microcontroller 120 through reverse- connected diode D B3 and capacitor C B and through forward-connected diode D B1 , as is conventionally known.
  • Bootstrap power supply 142 comprises diodes D B1 , D B2 , resistor R B and capacitors C B1 and C B2 as is conventionally known.
  • Fig. 9 shows an alternative way of providing microcontroller 120 with a power supply signal P s , namely by extracting power from a boost inductor L B of boost converter 114.
  • Boost converter 114 typically comprises boost inductor L B , a PFC MOSFET transistor Q PP c a bulk capacitor C B , diode D P3 and PFC control circuity 143.
  • Diode D P3 acts as a uni-directional switch. When diode D P3 is forward biased (and MOSFET Q PP c is open), current flowing through boost inductor L B from bridge rectifier 112 will charge bulk capacitor C B to an output voltage level. Diode D P3 prevents bulk capacitor C B from discharging through MOSFET P PP c (if closed) or through boost inductor L B . This allows bulk capacitor C B to be charged or "boosted” to exceed the AC input voltage applied to ballast 110, as is conventionally known.
  • Power adaption circuit 144 is shown comprising diodes D P1 , D P2 , D P4 , resistors R P1 and R P2 , and capacitor C P .
  • Diode D P1 , D P4 and resistor R P1 are connected in series to secondary winding of boost inductor L B such that current flows to microcontroller 120.
  • Schottky diode D P2 is reverse- connected to ensure a stable voltage drop at the node between resistor R P1 and forward-connected diode D P4 .
  • Power supply signal P s is provided to microcontroller 120 from the common node between resistor R P2 and capacitor C P .
  • Capacitor C P is used to smooth power signal P s and resistor R P is used as a "start-up" resistor to ensure that capacitor C P undergoes several start-up charging cycles when ballast is started.
  • microcontroller 120 can be powered by a power supply signal P s which is generated by a dedicated miniature switch mode power supply 146 appropriately configured as is conventionally known.
  • Switch mode power supply 146 can be restricted to producing between 2 to 3 watts and is a reliable but somewhat expensive alternative to the previous alternatives.
  • Switch mode power supply 146 can be any commercially available miniature switch mode power supply 146, such as a TOP210 three terminal off-line PWM switch integrated circuit manufactured by Power Integrations, Inc. as will be assumed for the following discussion.
  • Switch mode power supply 146 can be configured to provide power supply signal P s using transformer T lx diodes D P1 . P4 , capacitors C P1 and C P2 , and resistor R P as shown.
  • the primary winding of transformer Tj receives the high voltage DC signal from bridge rectifier 112 and the other side of the primary is driven by the integrated high-voltage MOSFET within power supply 146.
  • power supply signal P s is determined by the voltage across CONTROL (pin 4) of power supply 146, the voltage drops of diode D P4 and D P3 , and the turns ratio between the bias winding and output windings of transformer T x .
  • Other output voltages can be produced by adjusting the turns ratios of transformer T 1 .
  • Diodes D P1 and D P2 clamp the voltage spike caused by transformer leakage to a safe value and reduce ringing at DRAIN (pin 5) of power supply 146.
  • the power secondary winding is rectified and filtered by diode D P4 and capacitor C P1 to create power supply signal P s .
  • the voltage waveform across bias winding is rectified and filtered by diode D P3 , resistor R P and capacitor C P2 to create a bias voltage to power supply 146.
  • Capacitor C P2 also filters internal MOSFET gate drive charge current spikes on the CONTROL pin, determines the auto-restart frequency, and together with R P , compensates the control loop.
  • FIG. 11 another aspect of the present invention is shown whereby a voltage stabilization feedback circuit 150 is used to regulate the level of boost converter 114 output voltage signal Nou ⁇ -
  • a conventional method of creating power factor correction (PFC) circuity for electronic ballasts is by using boost converter circuity.
  • PFC power factor correction
  • the output voltage signal V 0 u ⁇ ° boost converter 114 driven in continuous current mode and with constant frequency and supplied with an input voltage signal V IN can be described as follows:
  • V v ou ⁇ (1 _ w D)
  • output voltage signal V 0 u ⁇ can be adjusted within certain limits.
  • the expression for output voltage signal V Q UT versus switching frequency F can be defined as follows:
  • t 0 is the switch on-time and t 0FF is the switch off-time which in turn can be defined as follows:
  • V 0 TJT output voltage signal V 0 TJT
  • feedback circuit 150 comprises capacitors C F1 . F3 , diodes D F1 . F2 , resistors R ⁇ y, 555 timer circuit IC T , comparator 132, and transistors FI-F2- S previously discussed, diode D F1 , capacitor C F1 and resistor R F1 are configured to form a simple D/A converter 130 which serves to convert a digital signal N D produced by microcontroller 120 to a DC signal V D c- DC signal V DC is used to control the current source of the periodic generator 128 by triggering transistor Q F1 which has its emitter connected to voltage signal N DD through resistor R F3 and to ground through capacitor C F2 .
  • the collector of transistor Q P1 is coupled to TRIGGER (pin 2), THRESHOLD (pin 6) and DISCHARGE (pin 7) of 555 timer circuit IC T to produce periodic voltage signal N P as previously described in detail in respect of Fig. 5.
  • the periodic voltage signal N P is input into the negative terminal of comparator 132.
  • the voltage output of the boost converter 114 Nou ⁇ is applied through diode D F2 , capacitor C F3 and across voltage divider comprising resistors R F6 and R F7 into the positive terminal of comparator 132.
  • the power factor correction signal V PF produced by comparator 132 is used to control the output voltage signal V 0 u ⁇ produced by boost converter 114 by controlling the operation of PFC MOSFET transistor Q PF c- Specifically, power factor correction signal V PFC is used to control the current source comprising transistor Q F2 and resistor R F5 driven by voltage V D r
  • microcontroller 120 controls the frequency of power factor correction signal V PFC by controlling the current source connected to timer IC T . Further, the duty cycle of PFC signal V PFC is determined by the difference between boost converter output voltage signal Nou ⁇ an( ⁇ the voltage signal V P and varies itself to maintain output voltage when either the input voltage or the output load fluctuate. By changing the frequency and duty cycle of the periodic voltage signal V P , the PFC signal V PFC supplied to transistor Q PF c can regulate the output voltage Nou ⁇ °f boost converter 114. Accordingly, a relatively low-speed microcontroller 120 can achieve stabilization of the boost converter 114.
  • control circuit 126 of ballast 110 utilizes a low-speed microcontroller 120 to successfully control the operation of MOSFET driver 117 of a conventional inverter circuit 116 using a control voltage Nc-
  • Control circuit 126 can vary the duty cycle DC C and control voltage frequency f c of a control voltage signal N c to a high degree of resolution.
  • Control circuit 126 generates a periodic voltage signal N P and modulates the periodic voltage V P so that certain DC levels are detected at differing frequencies.
  • DC levels are used to generate the control voltage V c by either comparing the periodic voltage signal V P with an analog DC signal through a comparator to produce control voltage V c or by passing the periodic voltage signal V P through a timer IC T to suitably trigger THRESHOLD (pin 6) of timer IC T to generate control voltage V c at OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer IC T .
  • microcontroller 120 can be powered by a power supply signal P s derived from half-bridge MOSFET driver 117 of inverter 116, using a conventionally known bootstrap power supply 142.
  • microcontroller 120 can be powered by a power supply signal P s which is extracted from a boost inductor L B (Fig. 11) of boost converter 114.
  • a power supply signal P s generated by a appropriately configured dedicated miniature switch mode power supply 146 such as a TOP210 three terminal off-line PWM switch integrated circuit manufactured by Power Integrations, Inc.
  • Control circuit 126 can also be applied to stabilize the level of boost converter 114 output voltage signal VQUT by providing a feedback control signal V PFC to the PFC MOSFET Q PF c- Microcontroller 120 is used to control the frequency and duty cycle of power factor correction signal V PFC by controlling the frequency and duty cycle of the periodic voltage signal V P and comparing the periodic voltage signal V P to the output voltage Nou ⁇ to determine a proper feedback control voltage signal V PFC .
  • the present invention provides a universal lighting ballast control circuit which generates a wide range of different control signals to start, run and dim a wide variety of gas-discharge lamp types using an inexpensive low-speed microcontroller.
  • the present invention can eliminate visible steps of light intensity which would otherwise occur when dimming a lamp.
  • the microcontroller can be powered within a typical ballast without conventionally known power supply problems and associated expenses.
  • the present invention can be used to regulate the boost converter output voltage to control and stabilize the operation of the power factor correction circuitry.

Abstract

A universal ballast control circuit allows a universal ballast to accommodate a gas discharge lamp within a relatively wide wattage range using a low-speed microcontroller. The control circuit drives the ballast to start, run and dim a particular lamp type by providing a control voltage signal to a conventional inverter MOSFET driver to effect dynamic and selective changes in the duty cycle and the frequency of the inverter signal. The present invention allows for the control circuit to be powered by a power supply signal either derived from an half-bridge MOSFET driver, extracted from a boost inductor of the boost converter or generated by an appropriately configured dedicated miniature switch mode power supply. Finally, control circuit can be utilized to drive PFC circuity in a feedback configuration to regulate the level of boost converter output voltage signal.

Description

Title: UNIVERSAL BALLAST CONTROL CIRCUIT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to lighting ballasts and in particular to a universal ballast control circuit for controlling the operation of a wide range of gas discharge lamp types.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Significant improvements in programmable microcontrollers over the past five years as well as the existence of dimming systems which use complex algorithms have caused most major electronic ballast companies to develop microcontroller driven electronic ballasts. These electronic ballasts typically use microcontrollers to adjust the characteristics of the inverter voltage signal to accommodate a wide variety of lamps and /or to provide dimming functionality. Specifically, by changing the frequency or duty cycle of the inverter voltage signal, these electronic ballasts are able to start, run and dim a wide variety of gas discharge lamps.
Some electronic ballasts such as the one disclosed by United States Patent No. 5,039,921 to Kakitani uses a central processing unit (CPU) to control the frequency of the inverter voltage signal to change lamp voltage. The Kakitani patent describes a ballast which can be adapted to light and drive various types of gas discharge lamps according to each lamp's individual rating. The control circuit employs the CPU to detect the rating of the discharge lamp based on the lamp's starting voltage and to retrieve stored lamp loading data from memory relating to the type of discharge lamp detected. The oscillating frequency of the inverter circuit voltage signal is then adjusted so that the ballast produces a power voltage signal suited to the particular discharge lamp.
Other electronic ballasts such as the one disclosed by United Stated Patent No. 5,569,984 to Holtstag use a microprocessor to control the switching frequency and the pulse width of the inverter voltage signal provided to a particular lamp to avoid strong acoustic resonances or arc instabilities. The microprocessor evaluates deviation of electrical lamp parameters to detect arc instabilities and adjusts the frequency and pulse width in response. Accordingly, the ballast can operate HID lamps of different types, wattages and manufacturers over a broad frequency range despite the occurrence of acoustic resonance /arc instabilities among these lamps.
In order to achieve acceptable levels of accuracy in running and dimming a wide variety of gas-discharge lamps, it is necessary to be able to produce a wide variety of inverter voltage signals which requires a high resolution of control signals. Low-speed microcontrollers cannot provide the necessary degree of control to run a lamp within a ballast having conventional inverter signal frequencies. In order to achieve the desired operation of a typical ballast, expensive high-speed microcontrollers must be used which severely limits mass production and consumption of microcontroller-based electronic ballasts due to the cost of such high-speed microcontrollers.
Further, since microcontrollers provide discreet output, when digital output levels are provided to a lamp, sudden incremental changes in the lumen output are produced. These discrete "steps" in light intensity are visible to users and are unacceptable in commercial and residential environments. Even when the microcontroller is programmed to dim a lamp in relatively small increments, dimming a lamp using a digital signal still results in visible steps. Finally, in order to provide sufficient power supply to the microcontroller, either a drop-down resistor or a dedicated off-line power supply circuitry is used. The problem with using a simple voltage-drop resistor is that the heat and high frequency noise which are generated are very difficult to suppress. On the other hand, a separate off-line power supply adds substantial expense to the product.
Thus, there is a need for a universal lighting ballast control circuit which can produce a wide range of different control signals to start, run and dim a wide variety of gas-discharge lamp types using an inexpensive low-speed microcontroller, which can modulate illumination levels on a continuously variable basis and which provides power to the microcontroller without conventionally known power supply problems and associated expense.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention in one aspect to provide a universal ballast control circuit for use with a power circuit coupled to an AC source for outputting a high frequency AC signal and a coupling circuit coupled to the power circuit for applying the AC signal to any one of a plurality of gas discharge lamp types, said control circuit comprising:
(a) a generator for generating a periodic analog voltage signal having a first waveform; (b) a source for generating a first DC voltage signal having a second waveform;
(c) a controller for controlling the frequency of the periodic analog voltage signal; and
(d) a processor for processing said first DC voltage signal and said periodic analog voltage signal to generate a control voltage signal for varying the frequency and duty cycle of the AC signal, the frequency and duty cycle of said control voltage signal being dependent on said first and second waveforms. In a second aspect, the present invention provides a universal ballast control circuit for use with a power circuit coupled to an AC source for outputting a high frequency AC signal and a coupling circuit coupled to the power circuit for applying the AC signal to any one of a plurality of gas discharge lamp types, said control circuit comprising: (a) a generator for generating a periodic analog voltage signal having a first waveform;
(b) a controller for controlling the shape of said first waveform; and
(c) a comparator for comparing the periodic analog voltage signal with at least one DC voltage and for generating a control voltage signal for varying the duty cycle and frequency of the AC signal.
In a third aspect, the present invention provides a method of powering any one of a plurality of gas discharge lamp types, each lamp type having a predetermined set of lamp characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) producing a high frequency AC signal;
(b) applying the AC signal to the lamp;
(c) generating a periodic analog voltage signal having a first waveform;
(d) generating a DC voltage signal having a second waveform;
(e) controlling the frequency of the periodic analog voltage signal;
(f) controlling the magnitude of the DC voltage signal; (g) varying the duty cycle and frequency of the AC signal based on a comparison of the first and second waveforms.
In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a method of powering any one of a plurality of gas discharge lamp types, each lamp type having a predetermined set of lamp characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) producing a high frequency AC signal;
(b) applying the AC signal to the lamp;
(c) generating a periodic analog voltage signal having a first waveform; (d) controlling the shape of the first waveform;
(e) varying the duty cycle and frequency of the AC signal based on a comparison of first waveform and at least one DC threshold voltage. It also an object of the present invention to provide a method of controlling the output voltage of a boost converter of a gas-discharge lighting ballast, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) applying a DC signal to a power switch to produce a boost converter output voltage;
(b) generating a periodic AC voltage signal;
(c) varying the waveform characteristics of the periodic AC voltage signal to form a modulated periodic AC voltage signal;
(d) comparing the modulated periodic AC voltage signal with the boost converter output voltage; and
(e) applying the result to the power switch to change the output voltage of the boost converter.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a typical prior art microcontroller-based electronic lighting ballast;
Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a waveform timing diagram showing the control voltage signal Vc which is produced when a DC voltage signal VD is compared with a periodic voltage signal VP in the present invention;
Fig. 4A is a circuit diagram of the digital-to-analog converter of the present invention;
Fig. 4B is another circuit implementation of the digital-to-analog converter of the present invention;
Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of an implementation of the control circuit of the present invention in which the microcontroller and two digital-to- analog converters provide DC signals Noci anc^ VDC2 which are used to vary the duty cycle and frequency of the control voltage signal Nc;
Fig. 6 is another implementation of the control circuit in which two DC voltage signals VDC1 an NDC2 are used to control the duty cycle and the frequency of the control voltage signal Nc by controlling the rate of charging and discharging of capacitor Cτ;
Fig. 7 A is a waveform timing diagram showing the periodic voltage signal NP and control voltage signal Nc of Fig. 6; Fig. 7B is a waveform timing diagram showing the DC voltage signal NDC1 of Fig. 6;
Fig. 7C is a waveform timing diagram showing the DC voltage signal VDc2 °f Fig- 6;
Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram illustrating how the microcontroller can be powered using a half-bridge driver;
Fig. 9 is a circuit diagram illustrating how the microcontroller can be powered using a boost inductor;
Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram illustrating how the microcontroller can be powered using a miniature switch mode power supply; Fig. 11 is a circuit diagram of the control circuit of the present invention for achieving power factor correction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference is first made to Fig. 1, which shows a prior art microcontroller-based electronic ballast 10. As is conventionally known, ballast 10 includes a bridge rectifier 12, a boost converter 14, an inverter 16, resonance network 18, and a microcontroller 20. Ballast 10 is used to power a lamp 22 as is conventionally known.
Bridge rectifier 12 is coupled to a typical AC power line voltage of
110-120 Volts. A rectifier consisting of diodes provides a full-wave rectified DC voltage of about 160 Volts across its output. Bridge rectifier 12 may also include an EMI filter for insulating the power lines from interference generated by ballast 10.
Boost converter 14 is coupled to the output of bridge rectifier 12 and is used to boost and control the input DC voltage provided by bridge rectifier 12 such that appropriate power is provided to lamp 22. Boost converter 14 provides regulated voltage to inverter 16.
Inverter 16 is a voltage-fed half-bridge DC-AC inverter which is used to convert the input DC voltage received from boost converter 14 into high frequency AC voltage. Half-bridge inverter 16 typically includes a half-bridge MOSFET driver 17 and MOSFET transistors QA and QB at its output, although many other implementations are possible (i.e. using bipolar transistors). MOSFET driver 17 is typically implemented using an integrated circuit such as IR2104 manufactured by International Rectifier. Transistors QA and QB produce an inverter voltage signal which is a high frequency generally square wave signal, as is familiar to those skilled in the art. The high frequency signal generated by transistors QA and QB is applied to resonance network 18.
Resonance network 18 is directly coupled to lamp 22 and is commonly used to avoid the necessity of an output transformer. Resonance network 18 typically includes an LCC network of capacitors and inductors which provides waveshaping and current limiting to produce a substantial sinusoidal lamp current for lamp 22. Ballast designers choose an optimal inverter frequency and optimal values of LCC circuit inductance and capacitance to create proper currents and voltages across the lamp as well as to produce an economical ballast configuration. The LCC network also functions as an igniter to ignite the lamp upon initial application of power to ballast 10.
Microcontroller 20 is used to control the operating frequency or duty cycle of the inverter voltage signal. In order for ballast 10 to properly operate lamp 22, ballast 10 must be able to produce certain voltage and current characteristics which are suited to a lamp's particular characteristics. When lamp 22 has been struck and is in full operation, its running voltage must be within its manufacturer's specified range. Typically, ballast 10 would be designed to provide a voltage between 35 and 130 volts (rms) for running operation of lamp 22. Particular voltages must be provided across the filaments of lamp 22 during the course of lamp operation. Further, the current flowing through lamp 22 must also be such that lamp 22 can be safely run. Finally, a sufficient striking (or ignition) voltage must be applied to lamp 22, such that the pressurized gas ignites into plasma form and forms a plasma thread. The provision of all of these voltage and current characteristics is accomplished by controlling the operation of half-bridge MOSFET driver 17 which in turn drives transistors QT1 and QI2 of inverter 16. By controlling the duration and frequency that transistors Qn and QI2 are conductive, microcontroller 20 can ensure that ballast 110 provides the proper striking, running and dimming of lamp 22.
However, in order for ballast 10 to provide the above discussed circuit conditions, microcontroller 20 must operate at a high-speed to produce a sufficient number of control levels. If microcontroller operates at too low a speed, then ballast 10 will not be able to accurately provide the various current and voltage characteristics which are necessary for proper running and dimming of lamp 22. As an illustration, consider a typical low-speed 8-pin microcontroller such as the PIC12C508 from Microchip Technology. If this microcontroller 20 is configured to directly drive the output half-bridge inverter 16 of ballast 10, it will result in inaccurate operation of ballast 10. The nominal frequency of the PIC12C508 microcontroller 20 is 4 MHz, a typical value for this slower class of microcontrollers.
Since an instruction can only be acted on by microcontroller 20 once every four timing cycles, the command cycle time Tc for this device would be:
Figure imgf000009_0001
Accordingly, every 1 μsec a digital voltage level can be provided to inverter 16 to change the current and voltage characteristics of resonance network 18. Typically, fluorescent electronic ballasts operate in a frequency range between 20 kHz to 60 kHz. For a ballast having an operating frequency of 40 kHz, the duration of the half-cycle pulse T1 2 of the inverter voltage is:
T. ,, = x — = 12.5 μsec
1 2 40 x l03 2 **
Accordingly, in order to adjust the duty cycle or the frequency of the inverter voltage signal, there are only be 12 steps in which to do so. The overall accuracy of such control circuitry is approximately 8.3%. This accuracy becomes worse when the full range of 50/50 duty cycle oscillation cannot be used. When the duty cycle is 20/80 or even 10/90, the driving accuracy of the control circuitry will only be about 50-80% which is unacceptable for proper operation of ballast 10.
Consequently, it is necessary to use high-speed microcontrollers which run at speeds of between 20 MHz to 40 MHz to properly control the operation of typical ballasts running at frequencies between 20 kHz to 60 kHz. Such microcontrollers are typically priced at between US$5 to US$10 each, which prohibits cost-effective production of ballast 10. Further, when the frequency of the digital output pulses produced by high-speed microcontrollers 20 is changed, sudden incremental changes in the lumen output of lamp 22 result which are visually perceived as light intensity "steps". For example, even when microcontroller 20 is programmed to dim lamp 22 using 128 light intensity steps, the inventor has found that visible steps still occur. Reference is now made to Figs. 2 and 3, which show an improved microcontroller-based programmable ballast 110 which includes a control circuit 126, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Control circuit 126 is designed to utilize a relatively inexpensive microcontroller 120 to control the inverter voltage signal to start, run and dim a wide range of lamp types. Common elements between ballast 110 and the prior art ballast 10 will be denoted by the same numerals with one hundred added thereto.
Accordingly, ballast 110 includes a bridge rectifier 112, a boost converter 114, an inverter 116, resonance network 118, a microcontroller 120 as previously discussed. Ballast 110 also comprises control circuit 126 which uses a low-speed microcontroller 120 for proper operation of ballast
110.
Control circuit 126 provides an analog control voltage signal Vc to half-bridge MOSFET driver 117 which in turn drives MOSFET transistors QA and QB. Control circuit 126 comprises microcontroller 120 periodic signal generator 128, a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter 130 and a comparator 132.
Microcontroller 120 of the present invention can be a conventional low-cost microprocessor such as PIC12C508 from Microchip Technology. Microcontroller 120 generates digital voltage signals VD1 and VD2 which are input into control circuit 126.
Periodic voltage signal generator 128 receives digital voltage signal VD2 from microcontroller 120 and generates a periodic voltage signal VP. While any periodic voltage signal can be used within control circuit 126, the inventor has determined that a sawtooth waveform is preferable as a sawtooth generator can be implemented by a simple and low cost circuit. For example, a conventional timer integrated circuit (e.g. a 555 timer circuit or an IR5155 oscillator circuit) configured with appropriate resistive and capacitor elements attached to various pin inputs and outputs generates a sawtooth waveform, as is conventionally known and as will be discussed.
D/A converter 130 converts the digital voltage signal VD1 produced by microcontroller 120 into an analog voltage signal VDcι- D/A converter 130 is preferably implemented using an integrating capacitor , either a series or parallel connected resistor Rj and an appropriately oriented diode Dj as shown in Figs. 4A and 4B, to form a conventional integrator circuit. It has been determined that it is preferable to use the circuits of Fig. 4A and 4B instead of conventionally available D/A integrated circuits to ensure that a wide range of analog signals can be produced cost effectively.
Referring back to Figs. 2 and 3, comparator 132 is a general-purpose comparator integrated circuit such as the LM393 integrated circuit manufactured by Linear Technology. As shown, the DC voltage signal VD 1 being output by the D/A converter 130 is provided to the positive input of comparator 132 and the periodic voltage signal VP is provided to the negative input of comparator 132. Comparator 132 produces a control voltage signal Vc waveform having a duty cycle DC and a frequency fc as shown in Fig. 3.
Control voltage duty cycle DC^ is dependant on the comparative values of the DC voltage signal VDC1 and the periodic voltage signal VP. It will be seen from Fig. 3 that when periodic voltage VP exceeds VDci/ control voltage Vc goes high and while periodic voltage VP is less than DC voltage signal VDC1, control voltage Vc goes low. Accordingly, control voltage duty cycle DCC can be varied by adjusting the value of the DC voltage signal VD 1 or by changing the digital voltage signal VD1 generated by microcontroller 120.
Further, as can be seen from Fig. 3, the control voltage frequency f c is equivalent to the frequency of the periodic voltage signal VP. Accordingly, the control voltage frequency fc can be varied by controlling the frequency of the periodic voltage signal VP. One way of accomplishing this is by using the DC voltage signal VDC2 from microcontroller 120 to control the current source of the periodic voltage signal generator 128 as will be discussed below.
Fig. 5 shows one possible circuit implementation of control circuit 126 in which both the control voltage duty cycle DCC and the control voltage frequency f are varied using a periodic voltage signal generator 128, a controller 129, and a comparator 132. Controller 129 includes microcontroller 120 and D/A converters
D/Aα and D/A2. Microcontroller 120 outputs two separate digital control voltages VD1 and VD2 into D/A converters D/Aj and D/A2, respectively which in turn convert them into DC voltage signals VDC1 and Nrj>c2- D voltage signal VDC1 is input into the positive input of comparator 132 and DC voltage signal VD 2 is used to control the current source of the periodic voltage signal generator 128. By varying DC voltage signal VDci/ it is possible to control the control voltage duty cycle DCC being output by comparator 132 as previously described. By varying the DC voltage signal VDC2, it is possible to control the control voltage frequency f , as will be discussed.
Periodic voltage signal generator 128 generates a sawtooth waveform using timer ICT, resistors Rj and R2, capacitor Cτ, and transistor Qx. Timer ICT is a conventional timer integrated circuit such as a 555 timer circuit or an IR5155 oscillator circuit. RESET (pin 4) and VCC (pin 8) are connected to running voltage VDD. TRIGGER (pin 2), THRESHOLD (pin 6) and DISCHARGE (pin 7) of timer ICT are coupled at node A to a grounded timing capacitor Cτ. Transistor Qj has its collector connected to node A and its emitter connected to voltage Vcc through resistor Rα. Accordingly, periodic voltage signal VP having a sawtooth waveform is generated at the collector of transistor as is conventionally known. The current source comprising resistor Rj and transistor Q1 powered by voltage Vcc serves to stabilize the charge current on capacitor Cτ.
When the periodic voltage signal VP THRESHOLD (pin 6) rises above 2/3 VDD, timer ICT shorts capacitor Cτ to ground at DISCHARGE (pin 7) through its internal discharge transistor. When the periodic voltage signal VP at THRESHOLD (pin 6) falls below 1 /3 VDD, the internal discharge transistor in timer ICT is disabled and capacitor Cτ begins to recharge from Vcc through resistor R1 and transistor Q:. In this way, timer ICT can be configured to operate as an astable multivibrator such that a periodic voltage signal VP is produced across capacitor Cτ. Since the current flowing through transistor Qx is controlled by DC voltage signal VDC2 it is possible to control the frequency of the periodic voltage signal VP by appropriately varying DC signal NDC2- Transistor Q2 operates as a linear modulating amplifier since Q1 is always biased in its active region. Accordingly, as DC voltage signal VDC2 is increased, the current flowing through transistor Q1 is increased (i.e. impedance of transistor Q1 is decreased) and capacitor Cτ will charge at a faster rate. Thus, the set-point of 2/3 NDD w ϋ be reached more quickly causing the frequency of periodic voltage signal NP to increase which in turn will increase the control voltage frequency f^. Since the current source comprising resistor Rlf transistor Q1 voltage Vc can be considered to operate as a variable impedance having a linear characteristic when VDC2 is applied to the base of Q the duty cycle of the control voltage signal Vc will not be affected by changes in DC signal VDc2.
Further, by changing the value of DC voltage signal VDci/ it is possible to change the control voltage duty cycle DCC in a continuous manner. If the integrator capacitor Cj of D/A converter D/Aα is large, a wide range of DC voltage signals Vc , each having a unique DC threshold voltage, can be generated for comparison with periodic voltages VP. As DC voltage signal VDC1 is reduced, the duty cycle of control voltage Vc increases and as DC voltage signal VDcι increases, the duty cycle of control voltage Vc decreases. It should be noted that the frequency of control voltage Vc will not change as DC voltage signal VDC1 is varied. Consequently, it is possible for microcontroller 120 and control circuit 126 to generate a wide range of control voltages Vc, each with a unique frequency fc and duty cycle DCC.
Fig. 6 shows an alternative circuit implementation of control circuit 126 which uses microcontroller 120 to independently control the control signal duty cycle DC and the control signal frequency fc of control voltage signal Vc with digital voltage signals VD1 and VD2. Control circuit 126 comprises controller 129, timer circuit ICT, transistors Qx and Q2, resistor R and timing capacitor Cτ.
Controller 129 comprises microcontroller 120 and two D/A converters D/Aα and D/A2. D/A converters D/Aj and D/A convert digital voltage signals VDι and VD from microcontroller 120 into DC voltage signals VDC1 and VD 2/ respectively. Each DC voltage signal VDcι and VDC2 controls the operation of transistors Q1 and Q2, respectively, to vary the duty cycle and frequency of periodic voltage signal VP as will be described.
Timer ICT is a conventional timer (e.g. a 555 timer) powered by voltage VDD and utilized as a simple oscillator in the present circuit. The schematic and written description of the 555 timer circuit provided by "Microelectronic Circuits" Third Edition by Adel Sedra and Kenneth C. Smith (at pages 875 to 880) is hereby incorporated by reference. Timer ICT compares the periodic voltage signal VP at THRESHOLD (pin 6) with two internally generated threshold voltages namely 1/3 VDD and 2/3 VDD- THRESHOLD (pin 6) of timer ICT is connected to the common collector junction of transistors and Q2 and to ground through timer capacitor Cτ. OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer ICT produces the control voltage Vc of control circuit 126. As will be explained, due to the charging and discharging of timer capacitor Cτ, a periodic voltage signal VP with a triangular-type waveform is generated at the common collector junction. When periodic voltage signal VP is greater than 2/3 NDD at THRESHOLD (pin 6), internal circuitry of timer ICT will cause OUTPUT (pin 3) to go high. When periodic voltage signal NP is lower than 1/3 NDD at THRESHOLD (pin 6), internal circuitry of timer ICT will cause OUTPUT (pin 3) will go low. In this way, control voltage signal Nc is controlled by the voltage characteristics (i.e. duty cycle and frequency) of periodic voltage signal NP.
Transistors Qj and Q are coupled to ground through timing capacitor Cτ and to the output of control circuit 126 through resistor Rj. Transistors Q: and Q2 are controlled by DC voltage signals Noci and VDc.2> respectively. Resistor Rj and control voltage signal V act as either a current source for transistor Qα or a current sink for transistor Q2, depending on the polarity of control voltage signal Vc. Specifically, the collectors of transistors Qx and Q2 are coupled to the ground through capacitor Cτ and the emitters of transistors Qj and Q2 are coupled to the output of control circuit 126 through resistor Rj. The bases of transistors and Q2 are coupled to the DC voltage signal outputs of D/A converters D/Aj and D/A2. Accordingly, transistors Q1 and Q2 operate as amplifiers when they are biased in their active region by control voltage signal Vc through resistor R1 and their impedance values can be controlled by DC voltage signals VDcι and VDC2, respectively as is conventionally known.
Thus, the control voltage signal Vc produced at OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer ICT, is controlled by the combined operation and relative impedance of transistors Q1 and Q2. When OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer ICT is high, timer capacitor Cτ will charge through resistor R1 and transistor Q1 until periodic voltage signal VP reaches 2/3 VDD. When periodic voltage signal VP at THRESHOLD (pin 6) is 2/3 VDD, timer ICT will force OUTPUT (pin 3) low and capacitor Cτ will begin discharging through transistor Q and resistor R:. Once periodic voltage signal VP at THRESHOLD (pin 6) decreases to 1/3 VDD, OUTPUT (pin 3) will be driven high and capacitor Cτ will start charging through transistor Q1 again. It should be noted that transistors Qτ and Q2 will never conduct simultaneously, as transistor Q- is only on when OUTPUT (pin 3) at timer ICT is high and transistor Q2 is only on when OUTPUT of timer ICT is low.
Capacitor Cτ will charge or discharge at a rate based on the relative impedances of transistors Q1 and Q2. That is, if the impedance of transistor Qx is low, capacitor Cτ will charge at a higher rate than if the impedance of transistor Qx is high. Similarly if the impedance of transistor Q2 is high, capacitor Cτ will discharge slower than if the impedance of transistor Q is low. That is, the duty cycle and the frequency of the periodic voltage signal VP waveform are determined by the direction and rate of current that flows through timer capacitor Cτ. As the characteristics of periodic voltage VP are changed by DC voltage signals VDC1 and VDC2, periodic voltage signal VP at THRESHOLD (pin 6) reaches 2/3 VDD and 1/3VDD voltage levels at various times which alters the waveform characteristics of control voltage signal Vc at OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer ICT. Thus, by modifying the characteristics of periodic voltage signal VP, it is possible to control the pulse duration and pause duration of the high and low signals produced by OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer ICT and accordingly the duty cycle and frequency of control voltage V can be controlled.
As an illustration of how a control voltage signal Vc is generated by the circuit of Fig. 6, a typical periodic voltage signal VP produced at the common collector junction of transistors C^ and Q2 is shown in Fig. 7A. When DC voltage signal VDC1 as shown in Fig. 7B is applied to the base of transistor Q: and DC voltage signal VDC as shown in Fig. 7C is applied to the base of transistor Q2, the control voltage signal Vc as shown superimposed on periodic voltage signal VP in Fig. 7A results. Specifically, when DC voltage signal VDC1 is at DC level A (Fig. 7B), periodic voltage signal VP causes control voltage signal V at OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer ICT to have a pulse duration of X1 and a pause duration Yj as shown. When DC voltage signal VDcι is increased to DC level B (Fig. 7B), increased current flows through transistor Qx when capacitor Cτ is charging and thus capacitor Cτ is charged at an increased rate. This causes control voltage signal Vc to have a pulse duration X2 (Fig. 7A) which is less than the initial pulse duration, as shown. Similarly, when DC voltage signal VDC2 (Fig. 7C) is increased from DC level A' to B', increased current flows through transistor Q2 when capacitor Cτ is discharging and thus capacitor Cτ is discharged at an increased rate. This results in a shorter pause duration Y2, as shown.
In this way, a low-speed microcontroller 120 can provide sufficient digital voltage signals which can be converted into a wide variety of analog signals that can individually control the charge time and discharge time of timing capacitor Cτ. In this way, it is possible to control the duration of the pulses for the control voltage signal Vc and the pauses between the pulses to an extremely high degree of resolution. Thus both the control signal duty cycle DCC and the control signal frequency fc can be independently controlled to a wide degree by a relatively low-speed microcontroller 120. Further, since the control voltage signals Vc are analog, it is possible to modulate illumination levels on a continuously variable basis.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to the ability to power microcontroller 120 within a conventional ballast 110 without the conventional disadvantages. Typical microcontroller-based ballasts power microcontroller and other associated control circuity components either through a drop-down resistor which' causes problems associated with heat and high frequency noise or by using a dedicated off-line power supply circuitry which is costly. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a clean high frequency power signal that can be easily filtered and converted to DC voltage sufficient to power the microcontroller 120 and associated control circuitry 126 without the associated problems As illustrated in Fig. 8, the present invention provides power signal
Ps to microcontroller 120 by extracting energy from half-bridge MOSFET driver 117 using a conventionally known bootstrap power supply 142. As has been discussed, inverter 116 contains a MOSFET driver 117 which drives transistors QA and QB from a HIGHSIDE MOSFET SIGNAL OUTPUT (pin 11) and a LOWSIDE MOSFET SIGNAL OUTPUT (pin 7). Bootstrap power supply 142 is connected to bootstrap output (pin 12) and FLOATING GROUND POINT (pin 9) of MOSFET driver 117. FLOATING GROUND POINT is connected to the common node of transistors QA and QB. POWER SUPPLY (pin 1) of MOSFET driver 117 is fed to the input of bridge rectifier 112 through resistor RBR. Bootstrap power supply 142 provides power signal Ps to microcontroller 120 through reverse- connected diode DB3 and capacitor CB and through forward-connected diode DB1, as is conventionally known. Bootstrap power supply 142 comprises diodes DB1, DB2, resistor RB and capacitors CB1 and CB2 as is conventionally known.
Fig. 9 shows an alternative way of providing microcontroller 120 with a power supply signal Ps, namely by extracting power from a boost inductor LB of boost converter 114. Boost converter 114 typically comprises boost inductor LB, a PFC MOSFET transistor QPPc a bulk capacitor CB, diode DP3 and PFC control circuity 143.
Diode DP3 acts as a uni-directional switch. When diode DP3 is forward biased (and MOSFET QPPc is open), current flowing through boost inductor LB from bridge rectifier 112 will charge bulk capacitor CB to an output voltage level. Diode DP3 prevents bulk capacitor CB from discharging through MOSFET PPPc (if closed) or through boost inductor LB. This allows bulk capacitor CB to be charged or "boosted" to exceed the AC input voltage applied to ballast 110, as is conventionally known.
Power adaption circuit 144 is shown comprising diodes DP1, DP2, DP4, resistors RP1 and RP2, and capacitor CP. Diode DP1, DP4 and resistor RP1 are connected in series to secondary winding of boost inductor LB such that current flows to microcontroller 120. Schottky diode DP2 is reverse- connected to ensure a stable voltage drop at the node between resistor RP1 and forward-connected diode DP4. Power supply signal Ps is provided to microcontroller 120 from the common node between resistor RP2 and capacitor CP. Capacitor CP is used to smooth power signal Ps and resistor RP is used as a "start-up" resistor to ensure that capacitor CP undergoes several start-up charging cycles when ballast is started.
Finally, as shown in Fig. 10 microcontroller 120 can be powered by a power supply signal Ps which is generated by a dedicated miniature switch mode power supply 146 appropriately configured as is conventionally known. Switch mode power supply 146 can be restricted to producing between 2 to 3 watts and is a reliable but somewhat expensive alternative to the previous alternatives. Switch mode power supply 146 can be any commercially available miniature switch mode power supply 146, such as a TOP210 three terminal off-line PWM switch integrated circuit manufactured by Power Integrations, Inc. as will be assumed for the following discussion.
Switch mode power supply 146 can be configured to provide power supply signal Ps using transformer Tlx diodes DP1.P4, capacitors CP1 and CP2, and resistor RP as shown. The primary winding of transformer Tj receives the high voltage DC signal from bridge rectifier 112 and the other side of the primary is driven by the integrated high-voltage MOSFET within power supply 146. Specifically, power supply signal Ps is determined by the voltage across CONTROL (pin 4) of power supply 146, the voltage drops of diode DP4 and DP3, and the turns ratio between the bias winding and output windings of transformer Tx. Other output voltages can be produced by adjusting the turns ratios of transformer T1. Diodes DP1 and DP2 clamp the voltage spike caused by transformer leakage to a safe value and reduce ringing at DRAIN (pin 5) of power supply 146. The power secondary winding is rectified and filtered by diode DP4 and capacitor CP1 to create power supply signal Ps. The voltage waveform across bias winding is rectified and filtered by diode DP3, resistor RP and capacitor CP2 to create a bias voltage to power supply 146. Capacitor CP2 also filters internal MOSFET gate drive charge current spikes on the CONTROL pin, determines the auto-restart frequency, and together with RP, compensates the control loop.
Now referring to Fig. 11, another aspect of the present invention is shown whereby a voltage stabilization feedback circuit 150 is used to regulate the level of boost converter 114 output voltage signal Nouτ- A conventional method of creating power factor correction (PFC) circuity for electronic ballasts is by using boost converter circuity. However, it is usually impossible to adjust output voltage of the PFC circuity when the lamp load changes, during the course of dimming and when input voltage is varied.
Generally, the output voltage signal V0uτ ° boost converter 114 driven in continuous current mode and with constant frequency and supplied with an input voltage signal VIN can be described as follows:
V
V v ouτ = (1 _ w D)
where D is the duty cycle of the operational voltage. However, less well recognized is that by changing frequency within a continuous current mode of operation, output voltage signal V0can be adjusted within certain limits. The expression for output voltage signal VQUT versus switching frequency F can be defined as follows:
Figure imgf000021_0001
where t0 is the switch on-time and t0FF is the switch off-time which in turn can be defined as follows:
t lON =
Figure imgf000021_0002
where POUT is the output power, L is the inductance of the boost inductor, η is the efficiency, VIN is the input voltage and K is the input voltage form coefficient, as is conventionally understood. By rearranging these relations, output voltage signal V0TJT can be written as follows:
V V
Figure imgf000021_0003
Thus, when output power PouT' efficiency of the inverter η, boost inductance L, and input voltage signal NΪΝ are fixed, the relationship between output voltage signal Nouτ anc^ frequency F has a hyperbolic character. Taking these principles into account, the inventor has determined that it is possible to adjust boost converter output voltage signal Nouτ using microcontroller 120 and a voltage stabilizing feedback circuit 150.
Specifically, feedback circuit 150 comprises capacitors CF1.F3, diodes DF1.F2, resistors R^y, 555 timer circuit ICT, comparator 132, and transistors FI-F2- S previously discussed, diode DF1, capacitor CF1 and resistor RF1 are configured to form a simple D/A converter 130 which serves to convert a digital signal ND produced by microcontroller 120 to a DC signal VDc- DC signal VDC is used to control the current source of the periodic generator 128 by triggering transistor QF1 which has its emitter connected to voltage signal NDD through resistor RF3 and to ground through capacitor CF2. Also as previously discussed, the collector of transistor QP1 is coupled to TRIGGER (pin 2), THRESHOLD (pin 6) and DISCHARGE (pin 7) of 555 timer circuit ICT to produce periodic voltage signal NP as previously described in detail in respect of Fig. 5. The periodic voltage signal NP is input into the negative terminal of comparator 132.
Further, the voltage output of the boost converter 114 Nouτ is applied through diode DF2, capacitor CF3 and across voltage divider comprising resistors RF6 and RF7 into the positive terminal of comparator 132. The power factor correction signal VPF produced by comparator 132 is used to control the output voltage signal V0uτ produced by boost converter 114 by controlling the operation of PFC MOSFET transistor QPFc- Specifically, power factor correction signal VPFC is used to control the current source comprising transistor QF2 and resistor RF5 driven by voltage VDr Thus, by appropriately varying the duty cycle of the PFC voltage signal being applied to transistor QPF in such a feedback configuration it is possible to stabilize the output of boost converter 114, as is conventionally understood.
As before, microcontroller 120 controls the frequency of power factor correction signal VPFC by controlling the current source connected to timer ICT. Further, the duty cycle of PFC signal VPFC is determined by the difference between boost converter output voltage signal Nouτ an(^ the voltage signal VP and varies itself to maintain output voltage when either the input voltage or the output load fluctuate. By changing the frequency and duty cycle of the periodic voltage signal VP, the PFC signal VPFC supplied to transistor QPFc can regulate the output voltage Nouτ °f boost converter 114. Accordingly, a relatively low-speed microcontroller 120 can achieve stabilization of the boost converter 114.
In use, control circuit 126 of ballast 110 utilizes a low-speed microcontroller 120 to successfully control the operation of MOSFET driver 117 of a conventional inverter circuit 116 using a control voltage Nc- Control circuit 126 can vary the duty cycle DCC and control voltage frequency f c of a control voltage signal Nc to a high degree of resolution. Control circuit 126 generates a periodic voltage signal NP and modulates the periodic voltage VP so that certain DC levels are detected at differing frequencies. These DC levels are used to generate the control voltage Vcby either comparing the periodic voltage signal VP with an analog DC signal through a comparator to produce control voltage Vc or by passing the periodic voltage signal VP through a timer ICT to suitably trigger THRESHOLD (pin 6) of timer ICT to generate control voltage Vc at OUTPUT (pin 3) of timer ICT.
Further, the present invention allows for control circuit 126 to be powered using a number of convenient power sources within a conventional ballast 110. First, microcontroller 120 can be powered by a power supply signal Ps derived from half-bridge MOSFET driver 117 of inverter 116, using a conventionally known bootstrap power supply 142. Second, microcontroller 120 can be powered by a power supply signal Ps which is extracted from a boost inductor LB (Fig. 11) of boost converter 114. Finally, as microcontroller 120 can be powered by a power supply signal Ps generated by a appropriately configured dedicated miniature switch mode power supply 146, such as a TOP210 three terminal off-line PWM switch integrated circuit manufactured by Power Integrations, Inc. Control circuit 126 can also be applied to stabilize the level of boost converter 114 output voltage signal VQUT by providing a feedback control signal VPFC to the PFC MOSFET QPFc- Microcontroller 120 is used to control the frequency and duty cycle of power factor correction signal VPFC by controlling the frequency and duty cycle of the periodic voltage signal VP and comparing the periodic voltage signal VP to the output voltage Nouτ to determine a proper feedback control voltage signal VPFC.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a universal lighting ballast control circuit which generates a wide range of different control signals to start, run and dim a wide variety of gas-discharge lamp types using an inexpensive low-speed microcontroller. By providing a high number of continuously variable control signals, the present invention can eliminate visible steps of light intensity which would otherwise occur when dimming a lamp. Further, the microcontroller can be powered within a typical ballast without conventionally known power supply problems and associated expenses. Finally, the present invention can be used to regulate the boost converter output voltage to control and stabilize the operation of the power factor correction circuitry.
As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure described above are possible without departure from the present invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

Claims

WE CLAIM:
1. A universal ballast control circuit for use with a power circuit coupled to an AC source for outputting a high frequency AC signal and a coupling circuit coupled to the power circuit for applying the AC signal to any one of a plurality of gas discharge lamp types, said control circuit comprising:
(a) a generator for generating a periodic analog voltage signal having a first waveform;
(b) a source for generating a first DC voltage signal having a second waveform;
(c) a controller for controlling the frequency of the periodic analog voltage signal; and
(d) a processor for processing said first DC voltage signal and said periodic analog voltage signal to generate a control voltage signal for varying the frequency and duty cycle of the AC signal, the frequency and duty cycle of said control voltage signal being dependent on said first and second waveforms.
2. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 1, wherein the source comprises a microcontroller and a first digital-to-analog converter coupled to the microcontroller for generating said first DC voltage signal for controlling the magnitude of the first DC voltage signal.
3. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a microcontroller and a second digital-to-analog converter coupled to the microcontroller for generating a second DC voltage signal for controlling the frequency of the periodic analog voltage signal.
4. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a comparator circuit for comparing said first waveform with said second waveform.
5. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 4, wherein the comparator circuit generates a first voltage level when the first waveform is less than the second waveform and generating a second voltage level when the first waveform is greater than the second waveform.
6. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 1, wherein the generator comprises a timer circuit coupled to a current source and a capacitor such that a sawtooth voltage signal is produced across the capacitor.
7. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a microcontroller and first and second digital-to- analog converters coupled to the microcontroller for generating first and second DC control voltage signals.
8. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 7, wherein the generator comprises a capacitor coupled to a current source and a current sink such that the capacitor charges with current in accordance with said first DC control voltage signal applied to the current source and the capacitor discharges current in accordance with said second DC control voltage signal applied to the current sink such that said periodic analog voltage signal is generated across the capacitor and such that the shape of said first waveform is controlled by said first and second DC control voltage signals.
9. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 1, wherein the source comprises a timer circuit which internally generates said first DC voltage signal and a second DC voltage signal having a third waveform.
10. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 9, wherein the processor comprises said timer circuit for comparing said first waveform with said second waveform and for comparing said first waveform with said third waveform.
11. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 10, wherein said timer circuit generates a first voltage level when the first waveform rises above said second waveform and a second voltage level when the first waveform falls below said third waveform.
12. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 2 or 7, wherein said microcontroller is a low speed microcontroller having a processing speed of up to 8 megahertz.
13. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 2 or 7, wherein the power circuit comprises a half-bridge output to provide operational power to said microcontroller.
14. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 2 or 7, wherein the power circuit comprises a boost inductor to provide operational power to said microcontroller.
15. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 2 or 7, wherein the power circuit comprises a dedicated miniature switch mode power supply to provide operational power to said microcontroller.
16. A universal ballast control circuit for use with a power circuit coupled to an AC source for outputting a high frequency AC signal and a coupling circuit coupled to the power circuit for applying the AC signal to any one of a plurality of gas discharge lamp types, said control circuit comprising: (a) a generator for generating a periodic analog voltage signal having a first waveform;
(b) a controller for controlling the shape of said first waveform; and (c) a comparator for comparing the periodic analog voltage signal with at least one DC voltage and for generating a control voltage signal for varying the duty cycle and frequency of the AC signal.
17. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 16, wherein the controller comprises a microcontroller and first and second digital-to- analog converters coupled to the microcontroller for generating first and second DC control voltage signals.
18. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 17, wherein the generator comprises a capacitor coupled to a current source and a current sink such that the capacitor charges with current in accordance with said first DC control voltage signal applied to the current source and the capacitor discharges current in accordance with said second DC control voltage signal applied to the current sink such that said periodic analog voltage signal is generated across the capacitor and such that the shape of said first waveform is controlled by said first and second DC control voltage signals.
19. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 16, wherein the comparator comprises an oscillator circuit for generating first and second DC voltages, for comparing said first waveform with first and second DC voltages, and for generating a first voltage level when the first waveform rises above said first DC voltage and a second voltage level when the first waveform drops below said second DC voltage.
20. The universal ballast control circuit of claim 17 wherein said microcontroller is a low speed microcontroller having a processing speed of up to 8 megahertz.
21. A method of powering any one of a plurality of gas discharge lamp types, each lamp type having a predetermined set of lamp characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) producing a high frequency AC signal;
(b) applying the AC signal to the lamp;
(c) generating a periodic analog voltage signal having a first waveform; (d) generating a DC voltage signal having a second waveform;
(e) controlling the frequency of the periodic analog voltage signal;
(f) controlling the magnitude of the DC voltage signal;
(g) varying the duty cycle and frequency of the AC signal based on a comparison of the first and second waveforms.
22. A method of powering any one of a plurality of gas discharge lamp types, each lamp type having a predetermined set of lamp characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) producing a high frequency AC signal; (b) applying the AC signal to the lamp;
(c) generating a periodic analog voltage signal having a first waveform;
(d) controlling the shape of the first waveform;
(e) varying the duty cycle and frequency of the AC signal based on a comparison of first waveform and at least one DC threshold voltage.
23. A method of controlling the output voltage of a boost converter of a gas-discharge lighting ballast, said method comprising the steps of: (a) applying a DC signal to a power switch to produce a boost converter output voltage;
(b) generating a periodic analog voltage signal having a first waveform; (c) controlling the frequency of the periodic analog voltage signal and the magnitude of the DC voltage signal;
(d) comparing the first waveform with the boost converter output voltage; and
(e) applying the result to the power switch to change the output voltage of the boost converter.
PCT/CA2000/000462 2000-04-27 2000-04-27 Universal ballast control circuit WO2001087020A1 (en)

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CN103746685A (en) * 2013-12-11 2014-04-23 中国电子科技集团公司第五十五研究所 High-efficiency microwave power amplifier pulse modulator

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