IR’s Controller Fortifies Ballast Designs

Geared for advanced linear fluorescent lamp ballasts that rely on active power-factor correction (PFC), the IRS2166D controller integrates PFC, ballast control, and a half-bridge driver in a compact monolithic IC. Its PFC circuitry operates in critical conduction mode to provide a PF of 0.99, THD of less than 10%, and a dc-bus regulation within a tolerance of 2.5%. Many of the device's protection features are programmable including those for half-bridge over-current, dead and preheat times, preheat and run frequencies, and lamp end-of-life. Other features include protection from failure of the lamp to strike, filament failures, dc-bus under-voltage reset, 50% duty cycle, integrated bootstrap circuitry, a 15.6V Zener diode clamp on V_{CC, and a typical startup current of 250 µA. Available in lead-free, 16-lead DIP and SO packages, prices range from $1.19 to $1.22 each/10,000. INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER, El Segundo, CA. (310) 252-7726.}