Solid state multiphase high voltage generator

In a data display system, the combination comprising,

• a gas discharge display panel of the electrodeless discharge type in which transversely oriented, dielectrically coated, conductor arrays define a plurality of discharge sites in the panel, a gas discharge medium in the panel constituted by a gas mixture having a composition and pressure such that a pair of balanced discharge sustaining voltages applied to the conductors of said arrays, respectively, are low enough in magnitude to be supplied by a balanced solid state sustainer system,
• a balanced, high voltage solid state sustaining voltage supply system, said high voltage solid state sustaining voltage supply system comprising
• a. a source of low voltage level periodic voltage,
• b. circuit means connected to receive the output of said source of low voltage level periodic voltage and producing two periodic voltages displaced out of phase with respect to each other,
• c. a high direct current voltage source,
• d. and at least a pair of complementary transistor amplifiers connected back to back across said high direct current voltage source, each transistor amplifier of said pair including an output stage constituted by a complementary pair of emitter-follower stages connected in push pull relation with respect to the phase voltage applied thereto, respectively,
• means connecting the high output voltage from one of said pair of amplifiers to one conductor array and means connecting the high output voltage from the other of said pair of amplifiers to the other conductor array transversely oriented with respect to said first conductor array, and
• address voltage pulse means for selectively providing unidirectional voltage pulses algebraically combined with said sustaining voltage pulses for selective manipulation of the discharge condition of a discharge unit defined by selected conductor pairs in said conductor arrays,
• whereby a high voltage periodic output voltage of each amplifier of said pair of amplifiers is displaced out of phase with respect to the other to constitute the sustainer voltage to said gas discharge display panel, with one of said output voltages being completely above ground reference and the other of said output voltages being completely below ground reference and high unidirectional voltage pulse circuit means coupling said displaced out of phase output to said transversely oriented conductor arrays, respectively, so that said discharge panel electrically floats on said sustaining voltage supply system and each said address voltage pulse is selectively added to the sustaining voltage for selective manipulation of the discharge condition of discharge units to which said unidirectional voltage pulses have been algebraically combined.