Abstract: A circuit arrangement for determining a temporal change of an output voltage of a half-bridge circuit during a dead time. In one embodiment, the circuit arrangement includes a first input for applying the output voltage. A capacitive network is provided having a first and a second circuit node capacitively coupled to the input, and having a terminal for a reference potential. A recharging circuit is configured, during the switched-on phase of one of a first and second switching elements, to adjust electrical potentials of the first and second nodes, the electrical potentials each being different from the reference potential. A comparator arrangement is provided that is configured during the dead time to determine a time difference between such times at which the electrical potentials at the first and second node each assume a given potential value, the time difference being a measure for the change with time of the output voltage.

Abstract: A method for operating a fluorescent lamp which is connected to a series resonant circuit with a resonant circuit inductance and a resonant circuit capacitance. The method includes applying an excitation AC voltage at an excitation frequency to the series resonant circuit using a half bridge circuit, which has an output to which the series resonant circuit is coupled, and which has a first and a second switch which are alternately switched on and off on the basis of a frequency signal. A current flowing through the resonant circuit is monitored for the presence of a critical operating state. The switched-on times of the first and second switches are shortened in comparison to switched-on times which are predetermined by the frequency signal, upon detection of a critical operating state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for generating an oscillating signal and an oscillator circuit.

Abstract: A power factor correction circuit is provided which may include a first switched-mode converter circuit comprising a first inductor, at least one second switched-mode converter circuit having a second inductor, a control circuit coupled to the first and second switched-mode converter circuits, wherein the control circuit is configured to start a switching pulse for the second switched-mode converter circuit when the following conditions are fulfilled: the second inductor of the second switched-mode converter circuit has a predefined magnetization state and a predefined time period has elapsed since the start of a switching pulse for the first switched-mode converter circuit, wherein the predefined time period is a predefined fraction of the time period from the start of a previous switching pulse for the second switched-mode converter circuit to a time when the second inductor of the second switched-mode converter circuit has the predefined magnetization state.

Abstract: A method for driving a fluorescent lamp and lamp ballast is disclosed. In one embodiment, an excitation AC voltage having an excitation frequency is applied to the series resonant circuit using a half-bridge circuit, having an output, to which the series resonant circuit is coupled, and having a first and a second switch, which are driven in the on state and in the off state with a fundamental frequency predetermined by a frequency signal or with an increased frequency. The switches are driven with the fundamental frequency or with the increased frequency with respect to the fundamental frequency in a manner dependent on a temporal change in the resonant circuit current between two temporally spaced-apart evaluation instants lying within a switched-on duration of one of the switches.

Abstract: A semiconductor device arrangement includes a first semiconductor device having a load path, and a number of second transistors, each having a load path between a first and a second load terminal and a control terminal. The second transistors have their load paths connected in series and connected in series to the load path of the first transistor. Each of the second transistors has its control terminal connected to the load terminal of one of the other second transistors. One of the second transistors has its control terminal connected to one of the load terminals of the first semiconductor device.

Abstract: An inductive proximity switch device has inductive elements including at least one transmitter coil and at least one receiver coil disposed on a common substrate. The inductive elements are arranged in one or more metalizing layers on the common substrate, and an evaluation circuit is coupled to at least one of the plurality of the inductive elements.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for encoding a plurality of bits into a plurality of pairs of simultaneous electrical pulses.

Abstract: A method for use in a lamp ballast includes obtaining a measurement signal representative of a voltage at an output of a half-bridge circuit. The half-bridge circuit includes first and second semiconductor switching elements, a resonant circuit connected to the half-bridge circuit, and a snubber capacitance connected in parallel with one of the semiconductor switching elements. The method also includes providing a comparison sinal by comparing heeasurem ment signal with a reference value. The method further includes detecting one of a first type of non-zero-voltage switching operation and a second type of non-zero-voltage switching operation based on evaluations of the comparison signal, wherein the evaluations of the comparison signal occurs in each case before the first semiconductor element is switched on and in each case before the second semiconductor element is switched on.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a protection circuit for protecting a half-bridge circuit. The protection circuit detects an incorrect response of the half-bridge by monitoring the current of a first switch at a series resistor of a second switch. The protection circuit has a detector for detecting the voltage across the resistor and an evaluation circuit which is designed in such a manner that it evaluates an output signal from the detector after the first switch has been switched on and provides a fault signal at an output when the voltage across the resistor is greater than the threshold voltage.

Abstract: A signal transmission arrangement includes a transformer with a first and a second winding. A damping circuit has an input terminal for receiving an input signal. The damping circuit is coupled to the first winding and is configured to have an electrical resistance that is dependent on the input signal. An oscillator circuit includes the second winding and is configured to provide an oscillating signal. An evaluation circuit is configured to receive the oscillating signal and to provide an output signal that is dependent on an amplitude of the oscillating signal.

Abstract: A method detects a non-zero-voltage switching operation of a lamp ballast, the lamp ballast including a half-bridge circuit with a first and a second semiconductor switching element, a resonant circuit connected to the half-bridge circuit, and a snubber capacitance connected in parallel with one of the semiconductor switching elements. The method includes obtaining a voltage measurement signal representative of a voltage at an output of the half-bridge circuit. The method also includes providing a comparison signal representative of a comparison of the voltage measurement signal with a reference value. The method further includes evaluating the comparison signal in each case before the first semiconductor element is switched on and in each case before the second semiconductor element is switched on, and detecting one of a first and second non-zero-switching operations based on these evaluations.

Abstract: A method for operating a fluorescent lamp which is connected to a series resonant circuit with a resonant circuit inductance and a resonant circuit capacitance. The method includes applying an excitation AC voltage at an excitation frequency to the series resonant circuit using a half bridge circuit, which has an output to which the series resonant circuit is coupled, and which has a first and a second switch which are alternately switched on and off on the basis of a frequency signal. A current flowing through the resonant circuit is monitored for the presence of a critical operating state. The switched-on times of the first and second switches are shortened in comparison to switched-on times which are predetermined by the frequency signal, upon detection of a critical operating state.

Abstract: A method for operating a fluorescent lamp which is connected to a series resonant circuit with a resonant circuit inductance and a resonant circuit capacitance. The method includes applying an excitation AC voltage at an excitation frequency to the series resonant circuit using a half bridge circuit, which has an output to which the series resonant circuit is coupled, and which has a first and a second switch which are alternately switched on and off on the basis of a frequency signal. A current flowing through the resonant circuit is monitored for the presence of a critical operating state. The switched-on times of the first and second switches are shortened in comparison to switched-on times which are predetermined by the frequency signal, upon detection of a critical operating state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for diagnosing a half-bridge having a first and a second switching element. The method includes providing a half-bridge that has a first and a second switching element connected in series with each other. The first and the second switching element are driven on and off cyclically, with the switching elements during one drive cycle being alternatingly driven on and off such that they are alternatingly subject to a load current flowing therethrough. A current measuring signal is provided, representing a current flow through one of the switching elements. A first reference signal is provided. A first diagnostic signal is generated that is dependent on an integral of the measuring signal over a first integration period, and on an integral of a first reference signal over a second integration period.

Abstract: A switch-mode converter. One embodiment provides an inductive energy storage element. A rectifier arrangement is coupled to the inductive energy storage element for providing an output voltage. A switching arrangement regulates the inductive energy storage element on the basis of a control signal. A controller arrangement is configured to generate the control signal on the basis of the output voltage. The controller arrangement has a discrete-time band rejection filter and a frequency measuring arrangement.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for diagnosing a half-bridge having a first and a second switching element. The method includes providing a half-bridge that has a first and a second switching element connected in series with each other. The first and the second switching element are driven on and off cyclically, with the switching elements during one drive cycle being alternatingly driven on and off such that they are alternatingly subject to a load current flowing therethrough. A current measuring signal is provided, representing a current flow through one of the switching elements. A first reference signal is provided. A first diagnostic signal is generated that is dependent on an integral of the measuring signal over a first integration period, and on an integral of a first reference signal over a second integration period.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for controlling gas discharge lamps using a direct current/alternating current inverter (DC/AC inverter) that is operated at a predetermined frequency and that generates an AC output voltage U for operating the gas discharge lamps from a DC input voltage which has a residual ripple. According to the invention, the DC/AC inverter is operated in zero voltage switching (ZVS) mode, wherein the DC input voltage is used as the control variable for the lamp current IL, wherein fluctuations in the lamp current IL caused by the residual ripple of the DC input voltage are compensated by a variation in the switch-on times and/or switch-off times of the switching elements QH, QL of the DC/AC inverter.

Abstract: Disclosed is a circuit arrangement for determining a temporal change of an output voltage of a half-bridge circuit during a dead time. In one embodiment, the circuit arrangement includes a first input for applying the output voltage. A capacitive network is provided having a first and a second circuit node capacitively coupled to the input, and having a terminal for a reference potential. A recharging circuit is configured, during the switched-on phase of one of a first and second switching elements, to adjust electrical potentials of the first and second nodes, the electrical potentials each being different from the reference potential. A comparator arrangement is provided that is configured during the dead time to determine a time difference between such times at which the electrical potentials at the first and second node each assume a given potential value, the time difference being a measure for the change with time of the output voltage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing electrical current to a lamp, detecting a power supply voltage outage, detecting a return of the power supply voltage, determining how long the power supply voltage outage lasted, and preheating the lamp responsive to determining that the power supply voltage outage lasted greater than a threshold amount of time.