Abstract: An HPS starting aid for providing pulses to an HPS lamp via a ballast tap connection, the aid employing a capacitive voltage divider connected to the power distribution line for charging purposes. There is no power resistor so that the pulse width and amplitude is not dependent on voltage amplitude fluctuations of the line voltage. A voltage breakdown device and a timing RC network determine the pulse positioning of the starting pulse. The size of the capacitors in the capacitive voltage divider and the number of turns on the ballast tap winding determine the pulse width and amplitude.

Abstract: A dimmer and regulation circuit connected to an incandescent lamp load for controlling the voltage thereto from an ac source by gating off a portion of each cycle. The circuit used to provide the gating includes a pulse generator controlled by a timer producing a rectangular wave output. The input to the timer is from an operational amplifier, the inputs to which are, in turn, from a variable control voltage setting and from a load sensing network including components for non-linear curve shaping processing, such as in accordance with the IES square law curve. These inputs operate in a closed loop feedback system to provide line and load regulation after the sensed load voltage passes through the square law shaping network. This non-linear network includes a half wave rectifier and a capacitor that is part of two time constant networks, and which accumulates a charge during one-half of a cycle through a first resistance path and which discharges through a second resistance path.