LOW COST PRECISION ELECTRONIC STARTER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic starter in lighting circuit 10 having a power source 12, an electromagnetic ballast 14, and a lamp 16. SOLUTION: The electronic starter (18) comprises pulse generation circuits (60, 62, 64), a switch (30) connected to a first and a second negative electrodes (22, 26) of the lamp to supply negative electrode current pulse (74) generated in the pulse generation circuits to the negative electrodes. The pulse generation circuits and the switch are operated to define a continuation time of negative electrode current pulse. In order to detect current supplied to the negative electrode by the negative electrode current pulse, a feedback circuit or bypass time-out circuits (116, 118, 120, 121, 128 and 130) are usable. If a certain value of current equal to a specified value is detected, the feedback circuit works to stop the electronic starters (102, 159).