1. A plasma display, comprising a circuit having:
a first input that receives a first waveform;
a second input that receives a second waveform;
an output that provides a driving waveform for an electrode of a pixel in the plasma display; and
a switching sub-circuit that (i) routes said first waveform from said first input to said output during a first portion of a setup period to initialize said pixel for an addressing operation, and (ii) routes said second waveform from said second input to said output during a second portion of said setup period.
2. The plasma display of claim 1, wherein said driving waveform has a peak-to-peak magnitude that is greater than a peak-to-peak magnitude of said first waveform, and greater than a peak-to-peak magnitude of said second waveform.
3. The plasma display of claim 1, wherein said first waveform is a DC offset of said second waveform.
4. The plasma display of claim 3, wherein said DC offset is positive.
5. The plasma display of claim 1, wherein said switching sub-circuit comprises transistors in a totem pole configuration.
6. A plasma display, comprising:
a circuit having a totem pole output that provides an output waveform for driving an electrode of a pixel in the plasma display,
wherein said pixel, during a setup period, is prepared for an addressing operation, and
wherein said totem pole output includes a first transistor that drives said output waveform during a first portion of said setup period, and a second transistor that drives said output waveform during a second portion of said setup period.
7. The plasma display of claim 6,
wherein said circuit receives a first input waveform and a second input waveform, and selectively routes either of said first input waveform or said second input waveform through said totem pole output to produce said output waveform, and
wherein said output waveform has a peak-to-peak magnitude that is greater than a peak-to-peak magnitude of said first waveform, and greater than a peak-to-peak magnitude of said second waveform.
8. A plasma display, comprising:
a circuit having a totem pole output that provides an output waveform for driving an electrode of a pixel in said plasma display,
wherein said circuit receives a first waveform and a second waveform that is positive relative to said first waveform, and
wherein said circuit routes said second waveform to said totem pole output during a first gas discharge of said pixel, and routes said first waveform to said totem pole output during a second gas discharge of said pixel.
9. The plasma display of claim 8, wherein said first gas discharge comprises a weak positive resistance discharge during a rising ramp waveform.
10. A plasma display, comprising:
a circuit that provides a first waveform and a second waveform, wherein said second waveform is a voltage offset of said first waveform; and
a totem pole circuit having a first input that receives said first waveform, a second input that receives said second waveform, and an output that provides a driving waveform for an electrode of a pixel in said plasma display,
wherein said totem pole circuit (i) routes said second waveform from said second input to said output during a first portion of a setup period to initialize said pixel for an addressing operation, and (ii) routes said first waveform from said first input to said output during a second portion of said setup period.
11. The plasma display of claim 10, wherein said driving waveform has a peak-to-peak magnitude that is greater than a peak-to-peak magnitude of said first waveform, and greater than a peak-to-peak magnitude of said second waveform.
12. The plasma display of claim 10, wherein said pixel experiences a weak positive resistance discharge during said first portion of said setup period.
13. The plasma display of claim 10, wherein said wherein said second waveform is AC coupled to said first waveform.
14. A plasma display, comprising a circuit having:
a first input that receives a first waveform;
a second input that receives a second waveform, wherein said second waveform is a DC offset of said first waveform;
an output that provides a driving waveform for an electrode of a pixel in said plasma display; and
a switching sub-circuit that (i) routes said second waveform from said second input to said output during a first portion of a sub-field of a frame for illuminating said pixel, and (ii) routes said first waveform from said first input to said output during a second portion of said sub-field,
wherein said driving waveform has a peak-to-peak magnitude that is greater than a peak-to-peak magnitude of said first waveform, and greater than a peak-to-peak magnitude of said second waveform.
15. The plasma display of claim 14, wherein said DC offset is positive.
16. The plasma display of claim 14, wherein said switching sub-circuit comprises transistors in a totem pole configuration.
17. A plasma display, comprising a circuit having:
a first input that receives a first waveform;
a second input that receives a second waveform;
an output that provides a driving waveform for an electrode of a pixel in said plasma display; and
a switching sub-circuit that (i) routes said first waveform from said first input to said output during a gas discharge that initializes said pixel for an addressing operation, and (ii) routes said second waveform from said second input to said output when enabling said pixel for a gas discharge during said addressing operation.
18. The plasma display of claim 17, wherein said driving waveform has a peak-to-peak magnitude that is greater than a peak-to-peak magnitude of said first waveform, and greater than a peak-to-peak magnitude of said second waveform.
19. The plasma display of claim 17, wherein said first waveform is a DC offset of said second waveform.
20. The plasma display of claim 19, wherein said DC offset is positive.
21. The plasma display of claim 17, wherein said switching sub-circuit comprises transistors in a totem pole configuration.
22. A plasma display comprising a circuit having:
a first input that receives a first waveform;
a second input that receives a second waveform, wherein said second waveform is a DC offset of said first waveform;
an output that provides a driving waveform for an electrode of a pixel in said plasma display; and
a switching sub-circuit that (i) routes said second waveform from said second input to said output during a gas discharge that initializes said pixel for an addressing operation, and (ii) routes said first waveform from said first input to said output when enabling said pixel for a gas discharge during said addressing operation,
wherein said driving waveform has a peak-to-peak magnitude that is greater than a peak-to-peak magnitude of said first waveform, and greater than a peak-to-peak magnitude of said second waveform.
23. The plasma display of claim 22, wherein said DC offset is positive.
24. The plasma display of claim 22, wherein said switching sub-circuit comprises transistors in a totem pole configuration.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. In a rotating anode x-ray tube housing of the type having a cathode and rotating anode, wherein the anode has a disk with both a rotational axis and an extended anode plane, the improvement comprising:
a. a cathode cable having a cathode plug attached to an end portion of the cable;
b. the plug is recessed in a receptacle attached to the housing, wherein the receptacle extends into the housing;
c. the cathode plug is contained within the housing;
d. both the anode and cathode plug extend from a same end of the housing and are substantially parallel to but offset from one another.
2. The housing of claim 1 wherein the cable is exposed to an insulating medium within the housing.
3. The housing of claim 2 wherein the insulating medium is transformer oil.
4. The housing of claim 1 wherein only a single cable enters at an anode end of the housing, via the plug and receptacle, wherein the plug and receptacle each has a longitudinal axis parallel to the rotational axis.
5. In a rotating anode x-ray tube housing of the type having a cathode and rotating anode, wherein the anode has a disk with both a rotational axis and an extended anode plane, the improvement comprising:
a. a single voltage cable having a terminal end axially mounted within a receptacle, the receptacle is attached to an anode end of the housing and extends inside the housing, whereby the terminal end and the receptacle are contained substantially within the housing;
b. a longitudinal axis of the single terminal end, and a longitudinal axis of the receptacle, are aligned substantially parallel to the rotational axis; and
c. the terminal end passes through the extended anode plane and is connected to the cathode.
6. The housing of claim 5 wherein the terminal end connection is an extended Federal Standard terminal and the receptacle is an extended Federal Standard receptacle.
7. The housing of claim 6 wherein the cable is exposed to an insulating medium within the housing.
8. The housing of claim 7 wherein the insulating medium is transformer oil.
9. The housing of claim 5 wherein a single cable enters at an anode end of the housing, where it is axially mounted by a Federal Standard cable assembly and a longitudinal axis of the cable assembly is parallel to the rotational axis.
10. In a rotating anode x-ray tube housing of the type having a cathode and rotating anode, wherein the anode has a disk with both a rotational axis and an extended anode plane, the improvement comprising:
a. a cathode cable having an attached Federal Standard plug mounted within a Federal Standard receptacle, wherein the receptacle is attached to an anode end of the housing and extends into the housing;
b. the plug and receptacle are contained substantially entirely within the housing; and
c. the plug has a longitudinal axis parallel to the rotational axis.
11. The housing of claim 10 wherein a single cable enters at an anode end of the housing, via the plug and receptacle, substantially parallel to the rotational axis.
12. The housing of claim 11 wherein the plug passes though the extended anode plane.
13. In an diagnostic x-ray tube housing of the type having a cathode and rotating anode, powered from 50 kV to 150 kV with one high-voltage cable connected to the cathode, wherein the anode has a disk with both a rotational axis and an extended anode plane, the improvement comprising:
a. the cable has a single end portion recessed in a well which extends into the housing;
b. the end portion and well are contained substantially entirely within the housing;
c. a longitudinal axis of the cable end is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the well;
d. both the longitudinal axis of the cable and the longitudinal axis of the well are parallel to the rotational axis; and
e. the cable end passes through the extended anode plane before being connected to the cathode.