Automated diagnostic tester for HID lamp luminaires

In a lighting fixture having a high intensity discharge lamp, a ballast connected to a power source, and the high intensity discharge lamp connected to the ballast, a method of testing the lighting fixture with an automated diagnostic testing system comprising:

• providing, access to circuitry of the lighting fixture, by an electrical connector system, the circuit access being to at least the power source and to the high intensity discharge lamp;
• connecting an automated diagnostic tester to the electrical connector system;
• enabling controlled interruption, through the connector system, including a controlled switching element of at least one circuit connection selected from the group consisting of the connection of the ballast to the power source and the connection of the high intensity discharge lamp to the ballast, wherein the controlled interruption of the circuit of the ballast to the power source as passed through a photoelectric switch;
• and
• operating the automated diagnostic tester to automatically measure lighting fixture parameters including at least one of a power source voltage, ballast open circuit output voltage, ballast output current, ignitor pulse voltage and lamp operating voltage.

In a lighting fixture having a high intensity discharge lamp, a ballast connected to a power source, and the high intensity discharge lamp connected to the ballast, a method of testing the lighting fixture with an automated diagnostic testing system comprising:

• providing, access to circuitry of the lighting fixture, by an electrical connector system, the circuit access being to at least the power source and to the high intensity discharge lamp;
• connecting an automated diagnostic tester to the electrical connector system;
• enabling interruption, through the connector system, of at least one circuit connection selected from the group consisting of the connection of the ballast to the power source and the connection of the high intensity discharge lamp to the ballast;
• operating the automated diagnostic tester to automatically measure lighting fixture parameters including at least one of a power source voltage, ballast open circuit output voltage, ballast output current, igniter pulse voltage and lamp operating voltage;
• and
• configuring the lighting fixture to include a photoelectric switch controlling the electrical connection of the ballast to the power source, and wherein said automated diagnostic tester is operable to also automatically measure output voltage of the photoelectric switch.

An automated diagnostic tester system for use with a lighting fixture connected to a power source and including at least one of a ballast connected to the power source, a capacitor connected to the ballast, an igniter, and a high intensity discharge lamp connected to the ballast, the automated diagnostic tester system comprising:

• an electrical connector system interconnected to the lighting fixture to provide access to at least the power source and to the high intensity discharge lamp, and enabling interruption of at least one of (i) the connection of the ballast to the power source and (ii) the connection of the high intensity discharge lamp to the ballast;
• an automated diagnostic tester connected to said electrical connector system and operable to automatically measure lighting fixture parameters including at least one of power source voltage, ballast open circuit output voltage, ballast output current, igniter pulse voltage and lamp operating voltage;
• a display of the automated diagnostic tester to display the measured parameter values;
• and
• an input device of the automated diagnostic tester for inputting nominal parameter values for a particular lighting fixture to facilitate diagnosis.

An automated diagnostic tester system for use with a lighting fixture connected to a power source and including at least one of a ballast connected to the power source, a capacitor connected to the ballast, an igniter, and a high intensity discharge lamp connected to the ballast, the automated diagnostic tester system comprising:

• an electrical connector system interconnected to the lighting fixture to provide access to at least the power source and to the high intensity discharge lamp, and enabling interruption of at least one of (i) the connection of the ballast to the power source and (ii) the connection of the high intensity discharge lamp to the ballast;
• an automated diagnostic tester connected to said electrical connector system and operable to automatically measure lighting fixture parameters including at least one of power source voltage, ballast open circuit output voltage, ballast output current, igniter pulse voltage and lamp operating voltage;
• and
• a memory storage of the automated diagnostic tester;
• which stores a plurality of lighting fixture reference parameters, which are selectively compared to the measured lighting fixture parameters to diagnose a faulty component.