A discharge lamp operating apparatus or a compact self-ballasted
fluorescent lamp includes: an AC/DC conversion unit 5 for converting an
alternating voltage phase-controlled by a dimmer 2 into a direct current
voltage; a DC/AC conversion unit 6 for converting an output from the AC/DC
conversion unit 5 into a high frequency voltage and applying the high
frequency voltage to a discharge lamp, whereby the discharge lamp is
intermittently operated; and a dimming control unit 7 which generates a
dimming instruction signal for driving the DC/AC conversion unit 6 so that
the discharge lamp performs an intermittent operation and outputs the
dimming instruction signal to the DC/AC conversion unit via a photocoupler
9, and synchronizes the timings of turn-ON and turn OFF of the
phase-controlled voltage with the timings of turn-ON and turn OFF of an
operation of the DC/AC conversion unit 6, respectively.
