A plasma television (commonly referred to as a plasma TV) is a display device that uses plasma technology to produce images. Similar to fluorescent lighting, plasma TVs rely on the excitation and emission of ultraviolet (UV) light to generate visible light and colors. Here's a breakdown of the key components that make up a plasma TV:
1. Glass Panels: Plasma TVs consist of two glass panels separated by a small gap. The inner surfaces of these panels are coated with a transparent conductive layer.
2. Plasma Gas Mixture: The space between the glass panels is filled with a mixture of noble gases, such as neon and xenon, at low pressure. This gas mixture serves as the plasma medium.
3. Electrodes: Each glass panel has a grid of electrodes arranged in horizontal and vertical rows. These electrodes are used to control the flow of electric current within the plasma gas.
4. Dielectric Barrier: A dielectric barrier is placed between the two glass panels to prevent electrical discharge between the electrodes and the glass surfaces.
5. Address Electrodes: The horizontal electrodes on one glass panel and the vertical electrodes on the opposing panel are connected to address circuits. These circuits selectively activate specific electrode intersections to create the desired pixel patterns.
6. Radio Frequency (RF) Excitation: An RF generator applies radio waves to the address electrodes, causing the electrons in the plasma gas to oscillate and collide with the gas atoms. This collision process generates UV photons.
7. Phosphors: The UV photons emitted from the plasma gas excite phosphor materials coated on the inner surface of one of the glass panels. Each pixel is associated with three phosphor sub-pixels: red, green, and blue. When the phosphors are excited, they emit visible light, generating the desired colors and images.
8. Color Filters: Colored filters are placed in front of the phosphor sub-pixels to ensure accurate reproduction of colors.
9. Power Supply: The plasma TV requires a high-voltage power supply to generate the necessary voltage for the RF excitation.
10. Control Circuits: The plasma TV consists of various control circuits that manage the addressing of electrodes, timing, and signal processing. These circuits ensure that the appropriate address electrodes are activated at specific times to create dynamic and accurate images.
11. Input Ports: Plasma TVs typically include various input ports, such as HDMI, component video, composite video, and audio ports, to connect external sources like DVD players, game consoles, and cable/satellite boxes.
12. Speakers: Some plasma TVs incorporate built-in speakers, while others require external speakers for sound output.
In summary, a plasma TV is composed of glass panels, plasma gas mixture, electrodes, phosphors, color filters, a power supply, control circuits, input ports, and audio capabilities. These components work together to produce vibrant and high-quality images by selectively exciting and illuminating phosphors through controlled plasma discharge.