Abstract: Even in a plasma display panel of large screen size and high definition, address discharge is caused stably. A plasma display device has a plasma display panel and a scan electrode driving circuit. The plasma display panel includes a discharge cell having a display electrode pair that is formed of a scan electrode and a sustain electrode. A plurality of subfields having an initializing period, an address period, and a sustain period are disposed in one field period. The scan electrode driving circuit generates an increasing first ramp voltage in the initializing period of at least one subfield in one field period, generates sustain pulse voltage that varies from a base potential to a potential for causing sustain discharge in the sustain period, and generates second ramp voltage that is increased and is dropped immediately after reaching a predetermined potential at the end of the sustain period.

Abstract: The method for driving a plasma display panel effects control of the subfields as follows. The all-cell initializing operation on the discharge cell is carried out in the initializing period of at least one sub-filed; the rest of the subfields other than the aforementioned subfield selectively carry out an addressing operation in each discharge cell. Gradation display is attained by combination of a subfield having an address discharge in the address period and a sub-filed with no address discharge in the address period. In a discharge cell where an address discharge is generated in the address period of a subfield that follows the subfield having the all-cell initializing operation in the initializing period, the subfield having the all-cell initializing operation has an address period for generating an address discharge.