This standard provides specifications for and operating characteristics of ballasts for mercury, metal-halide, high-pressure sodium (HPS), and low-pressure sodium (LPS) lamps. The ballasts operate from multiple-supply sources of 600 volts maximum at a frequency of 60 hertz. They may be designed for operation under either indoor or outdoor conditions.

The following types of ballasts are excluded from this standard:

(1) Ballasts consisting of resistance only

(2) Transformers for constant current (series) operation of mercury lamps (see American National Standard for Mercury Lamp Transformers - Constant Current (Series) Supply Type, ANSI C82.7-1983 (R1988)

(3) All ballasts that use semiconductors to control the lamp power.