UNITE DE CHARGEMENT A PLASMA A NOMBRE D'ELEMENTS D'IMAGE POUVANT ETRE EXCITES DE FACON SIMULTANEE REDUIT DE MOITIE

A plasma display unit applies data pulses of a predetermined polarity to data electrodes in odd-numbered columns and applies data pulses of an opposite polarity to data electrodes in even-numbered columns. The plasma display unit applies scanning pulses which are inverted between positive and negative polarities in first and second states that occur alternately, to scanning electrodes in odd-numbered rows, and applies scanning pulses which are inverted between positive and negative polarities in the first and second states in opposite relation to the scanning pulses applied to the scanning electrodes in odd-numbered rows, to scanning electrodes in even-numbered rows. Pixels arranged vertically and horizontally in a two-dimensional matrix are alternately energized in a staggered grid pattern, so that the number of pixels that are simultaneously energized is half the number of pixels of a conventional plasma display unit. A writing failure of wall charges due to a voltage drop of scanning pulses is prevented from occurring with an AC-discharge, surface-discharge plasma display unit having an increased size.