A New Lamp Socket Protection Technique for Self Oscillating Electronic Fluorescent Ballasts

Arcing can occur in fluorescent lamp sockets due to poor connections. This is a hazardous condition that could cause damage to the socket and is a potential for fire. A circuit is developed to detect when an arc occurs in a self oscillating electronic ballast. The circuit detects the change in frequency that occurs in the resonant circuit when arcing occurs. Based around a digital counter, the developed circuit is less susceptible to noise, component variation, and aging than an analog circuit. Simulations verify that the circuit is able shutdown the circuit when an arc occurs and restart the oscillations when the arc is removed.