ELECTRONIC BALLAST FOR OPERATING AT LEAST ONE FIRST CASCADE OF LEDS AND ONE SECOND CASCADE OF LEDS

An electronic ballast may include: a rectifier; a first unit including a first cascade of LEDs and a first storage capacitor connected in parallel with the first cascade; a second unit including at least a second cascade of LEDs and a second storage capacitor connected in parallel with the second cascade; wherein the second unit includes a diode coupled in series with the parallel circuit including the second cascade; wherein the electronic ballast includes: a current controller with an actual value input and a setpoint value input, a setpoint value presetting apparatus for the current through the cascades, wherein the setpoint value presetting apparatus is designed to provide a setpoint value at the setpoint value input which is proportional to the voltage at the output of the rectifier; a first actuating element; wherein the controller includes a drive output coupled to the first actuating element and a second actuating element.