Abstract: An electronic ballast for controlling the operating behavior and brightness of a gas discharge lamp, includes a full bridge circuit fed with a d.c. voltage (UBUS). The gas discharge lamp is connected as a load of the full bridge circuit, and a control circuit in each case switches on one bridge diagonal and switches off another bridge diagonal of the full bridge circuit, alternatingly. The bridge diagonals each have a regulatable constant current source for regulating a lamp current, and thereby the occurrence of flickering appearances is suppressed. As a result, the lamp can be dimmed over a very wide range of brightnesses.

Abstract: An electronic ballast for controlling the operating behavior and brightness of a gas discharge lamp, includes a full bridge circuit fed with a d.c. voltage (UBUS). The gas discharge lamp is connected as a load of the full bridge circuit, and a control circuit in each case switches on one bridge diagonal and switches off another bridge diagonal of the full bridge circuit, alternatingly. The bridge diagonals each have a regulatable constant current source for regulating a lamp current, and thereby the occurrence of flickering appearances is suppressed. As a result, the lamp can be dimmed over a very wide range of brightnesses.

Abstract: Method and device for controlling the operational performance of at least one gas discharge lamp (10). The control is effected with the aid of a controller (1) the proportional component of which is set in dependence upon an externally applied desired value (SOLL) of an operational parameter of the gas discharge lamp (10), whereby for low brightness desired values the proportional component of the controller (1) is set high, and for great brightness desired values of the gas discharge lamp (10) is set low. In this way it is possible to reliably fire the gas discharge lamp (10) even at low brightness values, without the appearance of a light flash, and at the same time to avoid instabilities in the case of high brightness values of the gas discharge lamp (10).

Abstract: Control device (3) for the operation of a load, in particular at least one gas discharge lamp (10, 15). The control device (3) is divided into a first purely software controlled control unit (3a) a second control unit (3b) realized purely in hardware. The two control units (3a, 3b) are connected with one another via a bidirectional connection line, the second control unit receiving exclusively internal operating state information (I.sub.intern) and the first control unit (3a) receiving external control information (I.sub.extern) By means of the division of the control device into a purely software controlled control unit (3a) and a control unit constructed purely of hardware (3b) the control device (3) in accordance with the invention has both a speed sufficient for rapid control procedures and also a sufficient flexibility with regard to alterations. Advantageously, the control device (3) in accordance with the invention is employed in an electronic ballast for the operation of gas discharge lamps (10, 15).

Abstract: An electronic ballast (EVG) is provided for operating at least one lamp (10), wherein a light sensor (20) for monitoring the brightness of a specific physical area (28) can be connected to the electronic ballast. A control arrangement (12) controls or regulates the brightness of the lamp (10) as a function of an actual brightness value delivered by the light sensor (20) and when the electronic ballast is put into operation automatically identifies whether a light sensor (20) is connected to the connection arrangement (18a, 18b).