A UV system for irradiating a substrate includes a RF source capable of generating RF energy, a UV lamp capable of emitting UV energy when excited by the RF energy generated by the RF source, and a monitor coupled to the RF source. The monitor includes data relating to the RF source. The UV system further includes a controller capable of communication with the monitor, and the controller determines if the RF source is suitable for operation with the UV system based on the data of the monitor and/or the end of its useful life.

During a normal operation,alternating drive voltage to be applied between a pair of electrodes provided to face an outer surface of a bottom part of a gas discharge light emitting tube is switched to a voltage value V2 lower than a voltage value V1 at the time of starting lighting. Further, the alternating drive voltage to be applied during the normal discharge operation is intermittently applied in a predetermined cycle and duty ratio to enable adjustment of light emission intensity.

During a normal operation,alternating drive voltage to be applied between a pair of electrodes provided to face an outer surface of a bottom part of a gas discharge light emitting tube is switched to a voltage value V2 lower than a voltage value V1 at the time of starting lighting. Further, the alternating drive voltage to be applied during the normal discharge operation is intermittently applied in a predetermined cycle and duty ratio to enable adjustment of light emission intensity.

An inverter producing an alternating current from a direct current source has a primary stage coupled to the direct current source having a step-up transformer, a first switching circuit coupling the direct current to the transformer primary and a rectifier coupled to a secondary of the transformer for producing a DC voltage; a controller for the first switching circuit providing pulse drive signals to control switches of the first switching circuit to cause current to flow in the transformer primary and induce an alternating current in the transformer secondary; a secondary stage receiving the DC voltage having a second switching circuit and a controller for the second switching circuit for generating control signals to cause current through the second switching circuit to flow in alternate directions thorough the load. In one embodiment the alternating current period is divided into time slices and the switches of the first switching circuit are duty cycle modulated at different duty cycles in each time slice. A second embodiment switches series-connected primary windings of a multi-tap transformer.

An inverter producing an alternating current from a direct current source has a primary stage coupled to the direct current source having a step-up transformer, a first switching circuit coupling the direct current to the transformer primary and a rectifier coupled to a secondary of the transformer for producing a DC voltage; a controller for the first switching circuit providing pulse drive signals to control switches of the first switching circuit to cause current to flow in the transformer primary and induce an alternating current in the transformer secondary; a secondary stage receiving the DC voltage having a second switching circuit and a controller for the second switching circuit for generating control signals to cause current through the second switching circuit to flow in alternate directions thorough the load. In one embodiment the alternating current period is divided into time slices and the switches of the first switching circuit are duty cycle modulated at different duty cycles in each time slice. A second embodiment switches series-connected primary windings of a multi-tap transformer.

The present disclosure is directed to an alternating current (AC) to AC converter circuit for independently adjusting a current and voltage to adjust a light output of a light operating on AC power. In one embodiment, the AC to AC converter circuit includes a microprocessor, a first switch coupled to the microprocessor, a power factor controller (PFC) module coupled to the first switch, wherein the first switch is controlled by the microprocessor in accordance with a desired power output, one or more boost switches coupled to the PFC module, wherein the one or more boost switches are controlled by the PFC module as a function of an operation of the first switch and one or more load switches coupled to the one or more boost switches, wherein the one or more load switches are controlled by the microprocessor in accordance with the desired power output.

The present disclosure is directed to an alternating current (AC) to AC converter circuit for independently adjusting a current and voltage to adjust a light output of a light operating on AC power. In one embodiment, the AC to AC converter circuit includes a microprocessor, a first switch coupled to the microprocessor, a power factor controller (PFC) module coupled to the first switch, wherein the first switch is controlled by the microprocessor in accordance with a desired power output, one or more boost switches coupled to the PFC module, wherein the one or more boost switches are controlled by the PFC module as a function of an operation of the first switch and one or more load switches coupled to the one or more boost switches, wherein the one or more load switches are controlled by the microprocessor in accordance with the desired power output.

The present technology provides a high-pressure sodium lamp lighting device that reduces occurrence of the acoustic resonance phenomenon. A high-pressure sodium lamp lighting device of one aspect of the present invention comprises a high-pressure sodium lamp of arc length AL within the scope of 142.8 mmAL167 mm. The lighting device also includes an electronic ballast configured to supply a high frequency AC voltage to the high-pressure sodium lamp. A lighting frequency of the electronic ballast is a frequency that avoids a first and a second acoustic resonance occurrence bands f1 kHz and f2 kHz determined based on equations from an arc tube inner diameter D mm of the high-pressure sodium lamp. The equation for f1 is a range of f1min to f1max=(7.4D+130) to (8.3D+156). The equation for f2 is a range of f2 min to f2max=(11.5D+200) to (10.0D+197).

The present technology provides a high-pressure sodium lamp lighting device that reduces occurrence of the acoustic resonance phenomenon. A high-pressure sodium lamp lighting device of one aspect of the present invention comprises a high-pressure sodium lamp of arc length AL within the scope of 142.8 mmAL167 mm. The lighting device also includes an electronic ballast configured to supply a high frequency AC voltage to the high-pressure sodium lamp. A lighting frequency of the electronic ballast is a frequency that avoids a first and a second acoustic resonance occurrence bands f1 kHz and f2 kHz determined based on equations from an arc tube inner diameter D mm of the high-pressure sodium lamp. The equation for f1 is a range of f1min to f1max=(7.4D+130) to (8.3D+156). The equation for f2 is a range of f2 min to f2max=(11.5D+200) to (10.0D+197).

A gas discharge device includes a thin glass tube filled with a discharge gas; a pair of first and second long electrodes extending toward either side along a longitudinal direction with a discharge gap interposed therebetween are provided outside of a back side flat surface of a thin glass tube; and a ultraviolet phosphor layer formed on an inner surface at the back side flat surface, the thin glass tube filled with a discharge gas having a front side flat surface and the back side flat surface facing each other on a transverse section, wherein, starting with trigger discharge that is initially generated in the discharge gap as a result of a voltage increase when a voltage with a sine waveform or an inclined waveform is applied between both electrodes, the discharge gradually extends so as to move in the longitudinal direction of the electrodes. Ultraviolet light having high luminous efficiency and emission intensity is obtained from a front side surface of the thin glass tube by driving the device with a sine-wave AC voltage.