High-intensity discharge (HID) lamp starting includes three phases: el
ectrical breakdown, cold-cathode glow discharge and thermionic are (ho
t-cathode glow discharge). Recent enhancements in the understanding of
these phases have stimulated the engineering of lamp-ballast systems
to improve lamp maintenance and overall lamp starting properties. A la
mp-ballast system approach allows for mutual compensation of lamp and
ballast design for optimum starting and steady state operating charact
eristics. The electronic ballst better utilizes present knowledge of s
tarting requirements than does the magnetic ballast. In this review, r
ecent advances in HID lamp starting will be discussed using results bo
th from experimental and from theoretical studies.