By Dr Marthinus Smit, Shuttle Lighting
There are many types of control gear for lighting applications ranging from very specialised static induction lamp ballasts and sine wave dimmers to the familiar Triac dimmer.
In the past, electrical contractors mainly had to choose between 230 V AC and low voltage lamps and electronic or wire-wound transformers. There was good compatibility between different lamp, transformer and dimmer brands and just about any combination worked. Where more specialised controls, such as electronic ballasts, were required, these were usually specified and supplied with the lamps and pre-defined compatibility was ensured while magnetic ballasts worked with nearly any brand of lamp.
Read the full article here
