Abstract: An improved technical note-taking paper is disclosed and which includes first and second sides, the first side including printed indicia of a plurality of equidistantly spaced parallel horizontal lines which extend across the page to the left and right margins, at least one vertical column formed by at least one vertical line intersecting and extended perpendicular to each of the horizontal lines and a topmost title box, the second side of the page including printed indicia of a plurality of intersecting vertical and horizontal lines forming a rectangular graph, the spacing and alignment of the horizontal lines on the second side of the page being identical to the spacing and alignment of the horizontal lines on the first side of the page, the paper being used with the present invention being marginally translucent such that the graph arrangement on the second side of the page is at least marginally visible through the first side of the page so that the user of the present invention may utilize the graph desi

Abstract: A ballast having a converter for converting input power into DC at a high frequency and a commutator for converting the DC to AC at a low frequency to cause light emission from a gas discharge lamp. The converter also contains a transformer for converting the input AC to a low voltage AC for heating the filaments in the lamp. Current and Voltage sensors associated with the commutator provide feedback to control circuitry which allows power conversion after the filaments heat and the voltage to the lamp to increase to the voltage required to start the lamp even when different starting voltage requirement lamps are used. After the lamp starts, the lamp is soley current mode controlled. By frequency modulation of the commutator, both power and crest factor can be controlled.

Abstract: A ballast for controlling the light emitted by fluorescent lamps (25) is disclosed. DC power derived from either a DC source or a rectified AC source is switched on and off at a high frequency rate by a switch (15) to control the flow of current through the primary winding of the transformer of a flyback converter (27). The switched output is rectified and applied by the flyback converter to the filaments of the fluorescent lamps (25) to be controlled. The rectified, switched output is also applied by a .pi. filter (17) to a commutator circuit (21) that controls the starting of the fluorescent lamps (25). The commutator circuit (21) is switched at a lower frequency rate. The bridge input voltage and current are sensed and fed back to a control circuit (23), which includes a regulating pulse width modulator and a bridge switching circuit. The control circuit (23) also receives a pulse current feedback signal from the switch (15) and an external dimming control signal.