Electronic ballast with improved inverter startup circuit

1. An electronic ballast for powering at least one gas discharge lamp, the ballast comprising:

a half-bridge inverter, comprising:

first and second inverter input terminals adapted to receive a source of substantially direct current (DC) voltage;

first and second inverter output terminals, wherein the first inverter output terminal is coupled to the first inverter input terminal;

a first inverter switch coupled between the first inverter input terminal and the second inverter output terminal, the first inverter switch having a base terminal;

a second inverter switch coupled between the second inverter output terminal and circuit ground, the second inverter switch having a base terminal, wherein circuit ground is coupled to the second inverter input terminal;

a first base-drive circuit comprising a series combination of a first base-drive winding and a first base-drive resistor, the series combination being coupled between the base terminal of the first inverter switch and the second inverter output terminal;

a second base-drive circuit comprising a series combination of a second base-drive winding and a second base-drive resistor, the series combination being coupled between the base terminal of the second inverter switch and circuit ground; and

an inverter startup circuit operably coupled to the first inverter output terminal, the second base-drive circuit, and the base terminal of the second inverter switch, and operable to provide a starting voltage for initially activating the second inverter switch, wherein the inverter startup circuit is characterized as being devoid of a voltage breakdown device, the inverter startup circuit comprising:

a first resistor coupled between the first and second inverter output terminals;

a second resistor coupled between the second inverter output terminal and the base terminal of the second inverter switch; and

a capacitor coupled between the second base-drive circuit and circuit ground.

2. The electronic ballast of claim 1 , wherein the capacitor has a capacitance on the order of about one microfarad.

3. The electronic ballast of claim 1 , wherein the inverter startup circuit further comprises a diode having an anode coupled to circuit ground and a cathode coupled to the base terminal of the second inverter transistor.

4. The electronic ballast of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second inverter switches is a NPN-type bipolar junction transistor.

5. The electronic ballast of claim 1 , further comprising a resonant output circuit, the resonant output circuit comprising:

first, second, third, and fourth output connections adapted for coupling to the at least one gas discharge lamp;

a series combination of a resonant inductor and a primary winding of a base-drive transformer, the series combination being coupled between the second inverter output terminal and the fourth output connection, wherein the primary winding of the base-drive transformer is magnetically coupled to the first and second base-drive windings of the inverter;

a resonant capacitor coupled between the second and third output connections; and

a direct current (DC) blocking capacitor coupled between the first inverter output terminal and the first output connection.

6. The electronic ballast of claim 1 , further comprising a front-end circuit having a pair of input connections and a pair of output connections, wherein the input connections are adapted to receive a source of alternating current (AC) voltage and the output connections are coupled to the first and second input terminals of the inverter, the front-end circuit being operable to provide the source of substantially DC voltage between the output connections.

7. An electronic ballast for powering at least one gas discharge lamp, the ballast comprising:

a half-bridge inverter, comprising:

first and second inverter input terminals adapted to receive a source of substantially direct current (DC) voltage;

first and second inverter output terminals, wherein the first inverter output terminal is coupled to the first inverter input terminal;

a first inverter switch coupled between the first inverter input terminal and the second inverter output terminal, the first inverter switch having a base terminal;

a second inverter switch coupled between the second inverter output terminal and circuit ground, the second inverter switch having a base terminal, wherein circuit ground is coupled to the second inverter input terminal;

a first base-drive circuit comprising a series combination of a first base-drive winding and a first base-drive resistor, the series combination being coupled between the base terminal of the first inverter switch and the second inverter output terminal;

a second base-drive circuit comprising a series combination of a second base-drive winding and a second base-drive resistor, the series combination being coupled between the base terminal of the second inverter switch and circuit ground;

an inverter startup circuit, comprising:

a first resistor coupled between the first and second inverter output terminals;

a second resistor coupled between the second inverter output terminal and the base terminal of the second inverter switch;

a capacitor coupled between the second base-drive circuit and circuit ground; and

a diode having an anode coupled to circuit ground and a cathode coupled to the base terminal of the second inverter transistor;

an output circuit comprising:

first, second, third, and fourth output connections adapted for coupling to the at least one gas discharge lamp;

a series combination of a resonant inductor and a primary winding of a base-drive transformer, the series combination being coupled between the second inverter output terminal and the fourth output connection, wherein the primary winding of the base-drive transformer is magnetically coupled to the first and second base-drive windings of the inverter;

a resonant capacitor coupled between the second and third output connections; and

a direct current (DC) blocking capacitor coupled between the first inverter output terminal and the first output connection.

8. The electronic ballast of claim 7 , wherein the capacitor has a capacitance on the order of about one microfarad.

9. The electronic ballast of claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second inverter switches is a NPN-type bipolar junction transistor.

10. The electronic ballast of claim 9 , further comprising a front-end circuit having a pair of input connections and a pair of output connections, wherein the input connections are adapted to receive a source of alternating current (AC) voltage and the output connections are coupled to the first and second input terminals of the inverter, the front-end circuit being operable to provide the source of substantially DC voltage between the output connections.