Computer-aided integrated platform for design and verification of electronic ballast

A computer-aided electronic ballast design platform for various gas discharge lamps is proposed in this paper to effectively assist engineers in designing and verifying electronic ballasts. This integrated platform features functionalities of lamp characteristics identification, circuit component optimum design, and ballast performance verification. Based on the precise lamp characteristics and design specification, through computer simulation and data computation, the design outcomes, including lamp butterfly chart, resonant tank designer, complete ballast schematic, bill of materials, are produced for a selected lamp type and input voltage range. A design case of ultraviolet lamp ballast with high power factor is taken as an example to expound the design procedures as well as demonstrate the validness and feasibility of the presented design platform.