Method and apparatus for driving plasma display panel

A method of driving a plasma display panel is disclosed in which display panel pluralities of first electrodes and second electrodes are arranged parallel to each other adjacently, a plurality of third electrodes are arranged to cross the pairs of first and second electrodes, and discharge cells are defined by areas in which the electrodes cross mutually, and wherein a reset period is defined as a period during which the discharge cells are initialized, an addressing period is defined as a period during which wall charges are provided in the discharge cells according to display data, and a sustain discharge period is defined as a period during which sustain discharge is induced in the discharge cells in which wall charges are provided during the addressing period. The method comprises the steps of applying a first pulse in which an applied voltage increases with time to the second electrodes and a rectangular pulse to the first electrodes so as to induce first discharge in the lines defined by said first and second electrodes, and applying a second pulse in which an applied voltage decreases with time to the second electrodes so as to induce second discharge as erase discharge in the lines defined by said first and second electrodes, these steps being carried out during the reset period.