Xerox Corporation

David J Meads

Keith L Bedford

Clive R Harris

Robert Kennedy

A circuit is provided for obtaining precise lamp voltage control and for compensating for varying or fluctuating input from an AC voltage source. The lamp is switched on by a switching device such as a triac. When the triac is powered, a simultaneous powering occurs of a second switching device such as an SCR. The SCR produces a scaled down RMS voltage output which closely matches the actual RMS lamp voltage. This second simulated voltage is precisely controlled in a feedback circuit which includes an RMS to DC converter and a feedback controller. The controller compares a converted DC voltage with a reference voltage and generates a firing pulse to the triac which is advanced or delayed so as to compensate for variations in the AC source as manifested by variations in the converted DC signal relative to the reference signal. Evaluation of the simulated voltage provides the mechanism for precise setting of the converted voltage as a trigger pulse which is generated at the time of the pulse generated by the zero crossing of the AC input.

Growing community of inventors

Hitchin, United Kingdom

David J Meads