The DS3881 and DS3882 are controllers for cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) that backlight liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in automotive, industrial, and avionic applications. In these applications the CCFL lamps can require a high strike voltage. While several system design criteria affect the strike voltage, this paper describes one criterion that is easily modified to increase the lamp strike voltage: boosting the operating frequency during the lamp strike process.