This paper presents a new method for determining L, Cs, and Cp in a series parallel resonant inverter. This inverter is suitable for driving high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps. The operating frequency is selected to avoid acoustic resonances which are governed by the size and shape of the arc tube. L, Cs and Cp, are chosen to satisfy the ignition and steady state requirements of the lamp. Equations are developed to analyze the starting condition and steady state operating condition of the lamp. For the prototype ballast for a 250W Metal Halide Lamp, experimental results are presented in order to validate the proposed method.