The IR2156 incorporates a high voltage half-bridge gate driver with a programmable oscillator and state diagram to form a complete ballast control IC. The IR2156 features include programmable preheat and run frequencies, programmable preheat time, programmable dead-time, and programmable over-current protection. Comprehensive protection features such as protection from failure of a lamp to strike,filament failures, as well as an automatic restart function, have been included in the design. The IR2156 is available in both 14 lead PDIP and 14 lead SOIC packages.