Fast-Switching Transistors Help Conserve Energy In Electronic Light Ballasts

Dramatic reductions in the power dissipation of electronic lighting ballasts can be achieved through use of the BUJ-Series of high-voltage, silicon bipolar fast-switching transistors. The devices feature very fast fall times as short as 30 ns when switching inductive loads of several amperes. This characteristic, combined with tightly controlled storage times, very short turn-on times and extremely low VCE saturation voltages, is said to yield power dissipation reductions of about 40% in ballast applications. The lower power dissipation also means lower junction temperatures, which reduces heatsink requirements and improves device reliability. The transistors offer collector-emitter voltage ratings from 700V to 1200V with collector current ratings from 0.5A to 6A.