BALLAST WITH ADAPTIVE END-OF-LAMP-LIFE PROTECTION

A ballast having an inverter and a direct current blocking capacitor coupled in series with a ballast output includes a control circuit for providing adaptive end-of-lamp-life protection. During operation, control circuit executes the steps of measuring and storing a reference value for the voltage across the DC blocking capacitor, monitoring the voltage across the DC blocking capacitor, and protecting the inverter and lamp sockets in response to the voltage across the DC blocking capacitor departing from the reference value by more than a predetermined threshold amount.