Planti ol neon lait i save yusim 'cold cathode glow discharge' (CCD). Bikos olgeta lam i no save kamapim hat taim em i wok, gutpela wok bilong senisim pawa i go long lait eneji i antap tru. Laipspan bilong en i longpela moa long ol nomol 'fluorescent lamp'. Sapos ol i gat gutpela kwaliti long ol samting, wokim, na putim, laipspan bilong ol neon tiub inap long kamap 20,000-30,000 aua. Ol standet bilong ples long kantri bilong mi i tok olsem man i mas i stap laip inap 10000 aua. Narapela bikpela gutpela samting bilong ol CCD lam em olsem namba bilong ol 'switching cycles' i no gat bikpela hevi long laipspan bilong ol, na dispela i mekim ol i gutpela tru long ol lait bilong edvetaismen we i nidim 'switching' planti taim.
Em i dipen long ol 'positive ions' we i save bomim 'cathode', na dispela i mekim 'cathode' i save salim ol 'secondary electrons' bilong holim 'discharge'. Olsem na, wanpela kain 'cathode potential drop' i mas kamap bilong givim strong long mekim ol 'positive ions' i go hariap; 'cathode potential drop' em i klostu 100V-200V.
Sapos inap, ol 'neon lamp tube' i mas longpela na i gat liklik 'inner diameter' long mekim 'positive column voltage drop' insait long 'total voltage drop' bilong 'tube' i go antap, na dispela i ken mekim lait i kamap gutpela moa.
Long mekim ol neon tiub i paia gut na wok gut long liklik voltej, ol i mas putim wanpela hai-voltej trensfoma (planti taim em i wanpela 'leakage-type transformer, tasol bikos em i bikpela na i save yusim bikpela pawa, isi isi ol bai senisim wantaim wanpela ilektronik transfoma) na stretim gut long sevim kos bilong ol projek.
Ol neon lait i save wok long 'alternating current' (AC), olsem na tupela 'electrode' i save wok olsem 'cathode' na 'anode'. Distribusen bilong 'glow discharge area' bilong ol i save senis senis long 'sequence' na 'dairection'. Bikos lukluk i stap yet, lait i luk olsem i karamapim olgeta 'tube', na dispela i kamapim gutpela lait moa long 'direct current' (DC). Olsem na, ol samting na wok bilong wokim tupela 'electrode' i mas wankain olsem ol inap long mekim.
Bikos ol neon lait em ol 'vacuum electric light sources', ol i mas lukautim 'vacuum hygiene' long olgeta taim bilong wokim ol samting. Pasin bilong bihainim gut ol lo bilong 'electro-vacuum teknoloji long taim bilong makim na wokim ol samting em i bikpela samting long lukautim gutpela bilong en.
