A novel smart power management integrated circuit used for fluorescent lamp

A novel smart power management integrated circuit (SPIC) used for electronic ballast is introduced in this paper. Based on a deliberate algorithm, the SPIC offers an optimized operation procedure for the preheat type of fluorescent lamps to realize their three-stage operation: preheating, igniting and burning. An intelligent protection block with different protection modes including over voltage protection and capacitance mode protection ensures the safety and efficiency of the fluorescent lamps. And auto-restarting function is designed to guarantee the instantaneous burning while lamp fault is eliminated. The SPIC can be fabricated in 12 V BiCMOS process at low price instead of costly high voltage process by improving its drive circuits. The simulation results show that the expected operating procedure of the lamp is well achieved. Another highlight of the novel SPIC is that since it has only 8 pins and requires only a few external components, the SPIC is especially easy to use. It is benefit to minimizing the ballast size and reducing the user's time to market. And its wide commercial applications are expected.