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Microprocessor controlled lamp flashing system with cooldown protection

  • US 5,078,039 A
  • Filed: 08/08/1990
  • Issued: 01/07/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A microprocessor controlled lamp flashing system comprising central controller means operative to provide output data packets, each said data packet including predetermined address signals, time base signals and control and intensity signals, a serial data link connected to said central controller means for transmitting said data packets, and a plurality of light flashing assembly means serially connected to said serial data link to receive said data packets, each said light flashing assembly means including a lamp housing, flash lamp means mounted within said lamp housing for producing light in response to an electrical discharge, lamp control circuit means mounted within said lamp housing and connected to said flash lamp means for producing a controlled electrical discharge to cause said flash lamp means to emit light, AC input means to couple said lamp control circuit means to an AC line voltage source, said lamp control circuit means including a microprocessor means operative to provide cooldown control for said flash lamp means by registering an intensity value for each electrical discharge of said flash lamp means and operating to terminate the provision of said electrical discharge for said flash lamp means when said registered intensity values exceed a predetermined cooldown threshold value and flash control circuit means connected to said microprocessor means for controlling the intensity of said electrical discharge for said flash lamp means, said flash control circuit means operating to generate flash trigger pulses for said flash lamp means at a preselected phase relative to the voltage on said AC line voltage source, said microprocessor means being operative to control said flash control circuit means in response to the time base, control and intensity signals in said data packets and to provide registered intensity signals to said flash control circuit means, said flash control circuit means operating to control the intensity of the light produced by said flash lamp means in response to said intensity signals and an address circuit means connected to said microprocessor means, said address circuit means being operative to preset an address into said microprocessor means, said microprocessor means operating to receive and register intensity signals from a data packet when the address signals in said data packet are indicative of said preset address.

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