Cost Effective Zero-Voltage and Zero-Current Switching Current-Fed Energy-Recovery Display Driver for AC Plasma Display Panel

A new cost effective zero-voltage (ZVS) and zero-current switching (ZCS) current-fed energy-recovery display driver for a plasma display panel (PDP) is proposed. It features a simpler structure, less mass, and lower cost of production. Furthermore, since all power switches are turned on or off under ZVS or ZCS, it has several favorable advantages such as an improved electromagnetic interference, low switching losses, and reduced burden on the cooling system. Particularly, since the current source built in the inductor can compensate the large gas-discharge current, main inverter switches have the reduced current stress and turn-on timing margin. Therefore, the undesirable voltage notch problem caused by the improperly controlled gate signal can be solved, which enables the panel to light at lower voltage such as 143 V compared with about 165 V of the prior circuit. To confirm the operation, validity, and features of the proposed circuit, experimental results from a prototype built with a 6-in test PDP are presented