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A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light.

Unlike incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps always require a ballast to regulate the flow of power through the lamp. However, a fluorescent lamp converts electrical power into useful light more efficiently than an incandescent lamp. Lower energy cost typically offsets the higher initial cost of the lamp. While larger fluorescent lamps have been mostly used in large commercial or institutional buildings, the compact fluorescent lamp is now being used as an energy-saving alternative to incandescent lamps in homes. Compared with incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps use less power for the same amount of light, generally last longer, but are bulkier, more complex, contain trace amounts of mercury, and initially more expensive than a comparable incandescent lamp..

Tube Lamp Driver Using NE555

Figure 1 below, describes about a simple tube lamp driver circuit using NE555. The heart of this circuit is NE555, which used as unstable multi vibrator. The frequency is depends on R1, R2 and C. Based on the figure, so this circuit will work at 20khz, the current will be hold in high current by MOSFET IRFZ44 and the voltage will be amplified by step up transformer. So the tube lamp will turn on With this output voltage.

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