A DRIVE UNIT, FOR INSTANCE FOR HALOGEN LAMPS, AND CORRESPONDING METHOD

摘要

A drive unit for electrical loads such as halogen lamps includes an insulating transformer (T) having a secondary winding for an alternate current to flow therethrough. The secondary winding of the insulating transformer (T) is coupled to electronic switches (Ml, M2) in a synchronous rectifier (SR) arrangement. These electronic switches are alternatively switched on and off as a function of a trigger signal (P) to produce a rectified output signal from the alternate current flowing through the secondary winding. A sense inductance (Lsense) is coupled by means of a set of conductive strips to the secondary winding of the insulating transformer (T) to sense the zero crossings of the alternate current flowing therethrough and generate the trigger signal for the synchronous rectifier (SR). The sense inductance (Lsense) is included in a coreless, non-saturating sense transformer (Ts) provided at a location separate from the insulating transformer (T).