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Igniter

All lamps that cannot be turned on using the mains voltage from the outlet require a ballast. These include, among others, high-pressure discharge lamps such as metal halide lamps or high-pressure sodium lamps. To make these lamps glow, a specific ignition voltage between 1 kV and 5 kV is required, depending on the wattage. An igniter is used for this purpose, unless the lamps are self-igniting, in which case they do not require an external igniter. There are two different types of igniters: superimposition igniters and pulse igniters. The former contain a built-in transformer that generates short high-voltage pulses. The igniter must be mounted close to the lamp; due to its small size, it can also be integrated directly into the luminaire. Pulse igniters, on the other hand, do not contain a transformer but are combined with ballasts that must be specifically designed for such use. In this case, it is the ballast that raises the voltage to the required ignition level. High-quality combinations of ballasts and pulse igniters often include a digital ignition timer, which prevents the cyclic switching on and off of the lights toward the end of their service life.

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