What is a Neon Lamp?

A Neon lamp is one type of a number of devices that converts electrical energy into light.

Neon lamps belong to a class of devices that provide illumination by way of electric discharge and as such are classed as electric discharge lamps. Their mode of operation is different to other types of illumination, such as for example incandescent lamps, (which rely on the light given out when a current is passed through a thin filament at high temperatures).

All electric discharge lamps rely on the ionisation and resulting electric discharge in vapours or gases at low pressures when an electric current is passed through them.

Familiar examples of electric discharge lamps are fluorescent lamps, mercury-vapour arc lamps, sodium vapour lamps and the Neon lamp used in a variety of applications. Neon lamps in particular are characterised by their orange-red glow emitted in the 600 to 700 nanometre area of the electromagnetic spectrum with some infra-red emitted in the 800 to 880 nanometre region.

There are two major types of neon lamps, those used for decorative signs (advertising/display types) and miniature/subminiature types used primarily to indicate if a piece of equipment is plugged in, switched on or drawing current. It is the latter type which are manufactured by TIMELAMP.

What is a Neon Lamp - Features - Applications - Operation - Electrical Characteristics - Life

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