Abstract: An end cap mounting system for a lens of a lighting fixture includes a lens engagement portion having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface defines a cavity extending distally into the lens engagement portion from the proximal end for a cavity depth to a cavity end surface. The cavity has an inner wall with a perimeter corresponding to a first asymmetric shape of an outer profile of a lens. A central protrusion extends proximally from the cavity end surface towards the proximal end. The protrusion has an outer wall with a perimeter that corresponds to a second asymmetric shape of an inner profile of the lens. A gasket-receiving recess is positioned proximate to the cavity end surface between the outer wall of the central protrusion and the inner wall of the cavity to receive a gasket.

Abstract: A magnetic assembly structure includes a bobbin, an outer core, an inner core, and a gap spacer. The bobbin has first and second flanges. The bobbin has a passageway extending between the first and second flanges. The passageway has at least one crushable passageway rib and a channel wall parallel to the second flange. The outer core is positioned around the first and second flanges. The outer core includes an opening positioned near the first flange. The inner core is positioned in the opening and in the passageway. The gap spacer is positioned between the inner core and an inner surface of the outer core. The gap spacer and outer core are held in frictional engagement between the inner core and channel wall. The gap spacer defines a gap distance which is adjustable by replacing the gap spacer with one of having a different thickness. Adjusting the gap distance modifies the inductance.

Abstract: An interconnection system includes a first support surface positionable against a respective first surface of a first printed circuit board (PCB) and a second support surface positionable against a respective first surface of a second PCB. The first PCB has a respective second surface spaced apart from the respective first surface by a first thickness. The second PCB has a respective second surface spaced apart from the respective first surface by a second thickness. A separator extends from the first support surface and from the second support surface. A contact pin extends through the separator. A portion of the contact pin extending in first direction from the separator is spaced apart from the first support surface by a distance corresponding to the first thickness. A portion of the contact pin extending in a second direction from the separator is spaced apart from the second support surface by the second thickness.

Abstract: An AC LED driver for providing operating power to an LED load. The AC LED driver includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal, each of the first and second input terminals connectable to an AC input voltage source. The AC LED driver further includes a current limiting capacitor coupled to the first input terminal and a bridge rectifier coupled to the current limiting capacitor, the bridge rectifier having a plurality of rectifying diodes. The AC LED driver also includes a phase angle shift unit coupled to the first input terminal and the bridge rectifier, the phase angle shift unit configured to minimize a phase angle between input line current and input voltage received via at least one of the first input terminal and the second input terminal.

Abstract: A light fixture is provided or retrofitted with wireless LED lighting system requiring no additional wireless devices. An LED driver housing has power output terminals and control input terminals for an LED driver disposed therein. An LED lighting device includes driver input terminals to receive the output power from the LED driver, and to which an LED array and a wireless communication module are coupled to receive power therefrom. The wireless communication module comprises a transceiver configured to send and receive wireless communication signals with respect to an external device, and a controller linked to the transceiver and configured to generate lighting output control signals. Dimming control signals received via the transceiver may be processed by the controller and transmitted to the driver without requiring additional hardware or wiring within or attached to the driver. The lighting device also can wirelessly receive occupancy sensor data or LED configuration information.

Abstract: An LED driver circuit controls the currents through a plurality of strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are connected in series. Each LED string has an associated current regulator. The LED strings are connected between the voltage rail and a reference rail on the output of an AC-to-DC rectifier to receive an unfiltered rectified DC voltage. A first current regulator is active during a first voltage range of the DC voltage to provide a current of a first magnitude to a first LED string only. A second current regulator is active during a second voltage range to provide a current of a second magnitude to the first LED string and to a second LED string. A third current regulator is active during a third voltage range to provide a current of a third magnitude to the first LED string, to the second LED string and to a third LED string.

Abstract: A transformer apparatus provides a primary winding and a secondary winding. The primary winding is divided into multiple primary winding layers. Each primary winding layer includes a number of primary layer turns. The secondary winding includes several secondary winding layers. In some embodiments, the transformer includes alternating primary and secondary winding layers wound around a bobbin structure. At least one secondary winding layer is positioned adjacent a primary winding layer. In some embodiments, the number of primary layer turns in each primary winding layer is equal to the total number of primary winding turns divided by the number of primary winding layers. A method of winding a transformer is also provided.

Abstract: A light source includes an operating time accumulator (i.e., counter or timer). The light source is operable to be powered by a driver circuit. The light source may be included in a light fixture or independently housed. The light source includes a controller integrally connected with a light emitting diode (LED) of the light source. Whenever the LED is receiving power from the driver circuit, the controller receives power from the driver circuit and accumulates an operating time in a nonvolatile memory of the controller. The nonvolatile memory includes blocks of bits arranged in a hierarchy. All of the bits of any block are in the same level of the hierarchy.

Abstract: A power line communication system transmits a dimming level to an electronic ballast to regulate the power consumed by a lamp. The power line controller has a notch generation circuit that generates notches on an AC power signal with a time duration in accordance with the dimming level of the lamp. A dimming interface associated with the electronic ballast detects the notches on the AC power signal. The dimming interface generates a ballast dimming level signal with a signal level related to the time duration of these notches.

Abstract: An electronic ballast for fluorescent lighting includes an inverter circuit having an output circuit coupled to a pair of lamp terminals. A protection circuit is coupled to one of the lamp terminals. The protection circuit includes a differential voltage sensing circuit that is functional to sense the lamp voltage pulses as sudden changes in voltage across a DC blocking capacitor and, in response, to provide a positive AC voltage pulse. A pulse accumulation circuit is coupled to the differential voltage sensing circuit. The pulse accumulation circuit is responsive to the positive AC voltage pulses from the differential voltage sensing circuit to accumulate the positive AC voltage pulses into the ballast shutdown signal.

Abstract: A power line communication system communicates a ballast dimming level to an electronic ballast over an AC power line. A power line controller is operable to generate the ballast control signal and to insert that signal on the AC power signal being transmitted over the AC power line. A power line receiver receives the AC power signal and extracts the ballast control signal from the AC power signal to generate the dimming level signal corresponding with the desired ballast dimming level. To insert the ballast control signal on the AC power signal, the power line controller has a transformer coupled to the signal pattern circuit. The secondary winding of this transformer is connected in series with the AC power line to insert the ballast control signal on the AC power signal. This AC power signal is then transmitted to the electronic ballast. To extract the ballast control signal out of the AC power signal, the power line receiver has a resonant circuit connected in series with the AC power line.

Abstract: A power line communication system transmits a dimming level to an electronic ballast to regulate the power consumed by a lamp. The power line controller has a notch generation circuit that generates notches on an AC power signal with a time duration in accordance with the dimming level of the lamp. A dimming interface associated with the electronic ballast detects the notches on the AC power signal. The dimming interface generates a ballast dimming level signal with a signal level related to the time duration of these notches.

Abstract: An arc protection circuit is provided for a current-fed, parallel-resonant inverter ballast, the circuit having a lamp signal sensing circuit coupled across one or more lamps and designed to detect a signal through the lamps, a shutdown circuit coupled to the sensing circuit and operable to disable the ballast in response to a disturbance such as an arc in the detected signal, at least a portion of the shutdown circuit defining a first time delay from detection of the disturbance in the signal during which the ballast operates normally, and after which the ballast may be disabled in response to the disturbance; and an automatic restart circuit coupled to the shutdown circuit and operable to enable restarting of the ballast, at least a portion of the restart circuit defining a second time delay during which the ballast remains disabled, after which the ballast may be restarted.

Abstract: An arc protection circuit is provided for a current-fed, parallel-resonant inverter ballast. The circuit includes a lamp current rate of change sensing circuit coupled with one or more lamps to detect a total lamp current; a ballast shutdown circuit to disable the ballast in response to a disturbance in the detected signal; a startup delay circuit, at least a portion of which defines a first time delay from a predetermined condition during which the ballast can not be disabled by the shutdown circuit; and an automatic restart circuit to enable restarting of the ballast, at least a portion of which defines a second time delay during which the ballast remains disabled, after which the ballast is restarted.

Abstract: A circuit for preheating filaments in lamps powered by an electronic ballast includes an inverter tank circuit and a preheat tank circuit. The preheat tank circuit has a preheat capacitor connected in parallel with a primary winding of a filament preheat transformer. A cut-back capacitor is connected between the preheat tank circuit and circuit ground. The filament preheat transformer has secondary windings coupled to the first and second lamp terminals to provide a filament preheat voltage. The inverter operates at a preheat frequency during a lamp preheat mode and at a steady-state frequency during a lamp steady-state mode, the steady-state frequency being lower than the preheat frequency. The preheat tank circuit has a natural resonant frequency that is approximately the same as the preheat frequency so that when the ballast is operating in the steady state mode, the filament voltage is substantially lower than when the ballast is operating in the preheat mode.

Abstract: A modular electronic ballast is provided for powering a fluorescent lamp. A motherboard is configured to receive an AC input signal, one or more supplemental input signals and a feedback signal from the lamp. A ballast control circuit generates an output signal for an oscillating inverter driving the lamps. A daughter card is coupled to the motherboard and selected from a plurality of daughter cards, each configured to provide a dimming control signal having predetermined characteristics and readable by the control circuit. The daughter cards are collectively configured to provide dimming control signals in response to each of a line-coupled demand response interface, one or more digitally addressable interfaces, analog dimming signals received via said supplemental communications bus, and three-wire phase control signals received via said AC line and said supplemental communications bus. The motherboard is configured to interchangeably receive any one of the daughter cards.

Abstract: An electronic ballast circuit includes a striation reduction circuit that can create an asymmetry in a lamp power signal that powers a gas-discharge lamp. The striation reduction circuit may have first and second circuit paths to cause the asymmetry in the lamp power signal. The first circuit path transmits the AC component signal of an input signal associated with an AC voltage while the second circuit path transmits a DC component signal. A non-linear component in the second circuit path is utilized to generate a harmonic component signal. AC component signal, DC component signal, and harmonic component signal are superimposed onto one another to cause an asymmetry in the lamp power signal that powers the gas discharge lamp.

Abstract: A ballast circuit includes a filament cutback circuit to reduce a pre-heat voltage after the lamp filaments have been pre-heated. The filament cutback circuit includes a filament cut-back inductive component magnetically coupled to the resonant inductive component in the inverter to receive a filament cutback control voltage associated with an AC voltage for powering the lamps. During the pre-heating period, the filament cutback control voltage is not high enough to charge a chargeable component to a switch threshold level. However, during lamp ignition, the filament cutback control voltage is increased and charges the chargeable component to the switch threshold level. This causes a switch device to operate in a conductive switch state and the filament cutback circuit suppresses the pre-heat voltage.

Abstract: A magnetic device is provided for placement on the top surface of a printed circuit board with surface mount connection on the bottom surface. The circuit board includes first and second sets of slots bisecting each other. The device includes a bobbin with a plurality of support members each having a face shaped to engage the top surface of the printed circuit board and a plurality of pins attached to the support members. The pins have a first portion shaped to pass through the first set of slots, and a second portion shaped to pass through the second set of slots. The second portion of the pins is shaped to engage the bottom surface of the circuit board, locking the magnetic device in place against the top surface of the circuit board and providing a soldering area for surface mounting on the bottom surface.

Abstract: An electronic ballast has control circuitry to provide a pre-heating signal to the filaments of a gas discharge lamp for a predetermined length of time before the lamp is ignited and, further, cease providing the pre-heating signal after the lamp has been ignited.