Scheme for sensing ballast lamp current

摘要

A light source including a ballast characterized by a resonant frequency and including a reference bus and a transformer having a secondary winding. The fluorescent lamp is partially covered by a shield, connected to the reference bus and coupled to the secondary winding. The ballast further includes a current sensor connected between the secondary winding and reference bus for sensing current flow through at least the lamp including that portion of lamp current attributable to parasitic capacitances affecting the resonant frequency.