STARTING CIRCUIT FOR A HIGH-PRESSURE GAS DISCHARGE LAMP

摘要

The present invention relates to a starting circuit for a high-pressure gas discharge lamp LA. Said starting circuit has a half-bridge, which is formed by two clocked switches S3 and S4 and generates an AC voltage from a DC voltage UG. The AC voltage is supplied to a series resonant circuit C1/L1a, with a transformation inductance L1b being magnetically coupled to the resonant inductance L1a of said series resonant circuit, but said transformation inductance otherwise being separately accessible. The lamp LA is in series between the resonant inductance L1a and the transformation inductance L1b. If the switches S3 and S4 are clocked at the resonant frequency, a high AC voltage is produced at the resonant inductance L1a by means of resonance magnification, said high AC voltage being transformed to the transformation inductance L1b in such a way that a total voltage suitable for starting is present at the electrodes of the lamp LA. The supply of the starting voltage to the electrodes is symmetrical, with the result that only half this voltage is apportioned to each electrode, in relation to a reference potential. As a result, there are fewer demands in respect of insulation complexity.