Abstract:
Provided to stabilize generation of address discharge and improve gradation characteristics of display images are the following elements: a plasma display panel; a sustain pulse generating circuit; and a ramp voltage generating circuit including a first ramp voltage generating circuit, a second ramp voltage generating circuit, and a switching circuit. The first ramp voltage generating circuit generates a first ramp voltage gently increasing in an initializing period. The second ramp voltage generating circuit generates a second ramp voltage increasing with a gradient gentler than that of the rising edge of a sustain pulse and steeper than that of the first ramp voltage, at the end of each sustain period. The switching circuit stops the operation of the second ramp voltage generating circuit immediately after the second ramp voltage reaches a predetermined electric potential. In at least one sustain period of one field, no sustain pulse but the second ramp voltage is generated.