Abstract: A driver (10) produces a current to generate traveling waves of voltage for low levels of illumination and an arc voltage for high levels of illumination through a gas discharge lamp (50). At the low illumination levels the traveling waves of voltage are produced in a manner so as to increase the current in the lamp at a controlled rate so that the increase in current can be stopped by an optical or ionization feedback loop when the lamp reaches the glow discharge region, after the Townsend discharge region and before the arc discharge region. Without careful control of the rate of the current increase, the desired current level can easily be overshot or undershot. Also, the feedback is critical given the varying nature of the impedance of gas discharge lamps. The process is repeated at selected intervals to produce a desired average level of illumination.

Abstract: A system for actively monitoring and controlling the effective ambient temperature in an application utilizing a fluorescent tube as the source of illumination. The system is the combination of a fluorescent tube, which may be thermally bonded to a reflector plate that is in physical contact with thermal electric cooler units and a heat sink. A temperature sensor in conjunction with drive circuitry and a power source, directs a magnitude and direction of current flow through the thermal electric cooler units thereby controlling the ambient operating temperature of the fluorescent tube.