System for driving ac plasma display panel

Abstract

An improvement to sustain drive circuitry for an AC plasma display panel wherein the sustainer signal applied to panel electrodes is simplified to comprise a sequential series of square waves. The actions of writing, selectively erasing and bulk erasing of light emissions in cells of the plasma panel are also performed by combinations of square wave signals generated in sustainer and driver circuits of the device. A combination of integrated circuits comprise both the X and Y axis drivers with the Y axis drivers also including an internally generated Y axis sustain signal onto which Y axis write or erase signals are impressed. The prior art requirement of floating supply voltages is removed and the number of supply voltages is decreased such that all driver and sustainer circuits utilize a common power source, with a maximum of three source voltage levels for operation of all sustainers, drivers, address inputs and logic and timing control of the circuitry. The X axis sustainer may alternatively be comprised of a Mosfet circuit herein disclosed, included two high voltage high current Mosfet transistors connected in a totem pole fashion and operated in a manner which avoids simultaneous conduction of both transistors, thus reducing heat dissipation problems.