A complementary Class D converter

High voltage integrated circuits (HVIC) drive the popular half-bridge topology but they often cost more than the transformers they replace. This paper introduces a novel complementary Class D (CCD) converter with a unitary drive signal that avoids complicated level shifting and bootstrap circuits. A simple, low cost, passive gate control system with triggerless starting, drives a complementary, source connected pair of MOSFETs. Applications of the CCD include compact fluorescent ballasts. The paper also shows how to control the CCD with a low voltage IC, thereby uniting the power converter with its active control, as one, low cost, monolithic IC. Power is directed to the IC via a unique charge pump.