First, the function of xenon lamp ballast
Ballast, another name is called electronic ballast, its function principle is that when the power is turned on , in an instant, the xenon gas in the xenon bulb is activated by a high-voltage pulse that raises the low-voltage car power supply to more than 20,000 volts through a transformer to generate a color temperature of 3000-12000K in the arc, thereby activating the lighting of the xenon lamp. The appearance of the ballast has also fully led the new era of lighting technology, which can make the xenon lamp operate more stably, and the lighting configuration of automobile headlights has also risen to a new level.
There are two kinds of common ballasts, one is a single ballast, which is a combination of ballast and high-voltage starter; the other is a split ballast, which is a combination of ballast and high-voltage starter. split. Of course, the principle and function of these two kinds of ballasts are the same.
General ballasts have the performance of cold start current < 6.5A, the start speed is faster, and the function of automatic circuit supply current is designed, which is often referred to as the function of secondary supply power supply, which can be used Different manufacturers produce xenon lamp bulbs with different tube pressures. In addition, the ballast also has the performance of wide voltage design, generally 7.5V-18V, which can ensure that low voltage and high voltage can start normally. During hot start or light change, the starting current is less than 5A, which reduces the load on the power supply of the car due to frequent dimming, and the influence of the car on the power supply of other electrical equipment.
When using the ballast, there are many reference indicators, such as starting voltage, working voltage, typical current, output power, cold start current, hot start current, working efficiency, working temperature range, etc. In general, the ballast is one of the most complex and technical components in the entire HID lighting system. The quality of the ballast directly determines the experience of using xenon headlights, and also determines the performance of xenon headlights.
Second, are the ballasts of xenon lamps universal?
Most of them are universal, but it depends on the specific model, such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, etc. High-end models often need to be used with decoding ballasts, and other general models are basically universal. When choosing a ballast or light bulb, we must pay attention to the power problem. For example, a 35W ballast must not be equipped with a 55W light bulb. If the power of the ballast and the light bulb do not match, the service life will be greatly affected.
Third, how to distinguish between decoding and non-decoding of ballasts
There will be instructions on the outer packaging. The purpose of decoding the ballast is to better adapt to different models. Some cars, such as Hyundai, JEEP, Volkswagen and other brands, are controlled by bcm. If the xenon lamp is replaced, the starting current and power are larger than the original halogen lamp. If there is a gap, a fault code will appear. After the ballast is decoded, there will be no incompatibility, and the fault code on the instrument panel will automatically disappear. In fact, if you can not use the decoding ballast, try not to use it, because the startup time of the decoding ballast is relatively long.
