Abstract: An illumination unit comprises an electrodeless low-pressure discharge-lamp and a high-frequency power supply unit. The lamp has a gastight closed discharge vessel with an ionizable fill and a coil with turns of a primary and a secondary winding around a core of soft-magnetic material. The power supply unit has input terminals, a first output terminal, electrically neutral with respect to ground, that is connected to a first end of the primary winding, and a further output terminal that is connected to a second end of the primary winding. During nominal lamp operation the primary winding excites a high-frequency magnetic field that maintains an electrical discharge in the discharge vessel and that induces in the secondary winding a potential drop in the direction of a first, with respect to the electrically neutral end, to a second free end that varies in a sense opposite to the potential drop from the first to the second end in the first winding.

Abstract: An electrodeless low-pressure discharge lamp includes a translucent discharge-vessel of a glass that contains at least 5 weight % sodium, encloses a discharge-space and includes a mercury containing fill. The lamp further includes a device to maintain an electrical discharge in the discharge space and an auxiliary radiation source that emits at least 0.5 mW of visible radiation when activated, to provide a relatively short ignition time.

Abstract: An illumination unit of the invention comprises an electrodeless low-pressure discharge-lamp (10) and a high-frequency power supply (50). The lamp (10) is provided with a gastight closed discharge vessel (20) with an ionizable fill (21). The lamp (10) further is provided with a coil (30) with turns (31,32) of a primary and a secondary winding (33,34). The power supply unit 50 is provided with input terminals (51a,51b) and is further provided with a first output terminal (52a), electrically neutral with respect to mass, that is connected to a first end (36a) of the primary winding (33) and with a further output terminal (52b) that is connected to a second end (36b) of the primary winding (33).

Abstract: A circuit arrangement suitable for operating low-pressure mercury discharge lamp by means of a high-frequency current includes circuitry (I) for generating the high-frequency current from a supply voltage, and a modulator (II) for the substantially square-wave modulation of the amplitude of the high-frequency current at a modulation frequency f. The circuit arrangement is further provided with circuitry (V) for limiting the amplitude of the re-ignition voltage across the low-pressure mercury discharge lamp to a voltage Vi. As a result, interference with infrared systems caused by a discharge lamp operated by the circuit arrangement is substantially fully suppressed.