TWTPA and SSPA Lecture

C- band transponder block diagram(PA)
Transponder power amplifier

Topics
• Travelling wave tube power amplifier (TWTPA)
• Solid state power amplifier (SSPA).
• Two cavity klystron power amplifier.
TWTPA Structure
• It consists of three major components: electron gun,
helix (slow wave structure (SWS) and collector.
• Electron gun assembly: it includes a filament as a
heater, cathode and focusing electrodes: shadow grids,
grids and anode. It emits electron beam using thermo
ionic emission.
TWTPA Structure
TWTPA Structure
• Helix: it is considered as a slow wave structure (SWS). It is
considered a directional coupler. It includes a wire wound in
helix form or a tapered helix , forming electromagnetic
solenoid that make a form of guide and a permanent
magnetic. It focuses, confines the electron beam. It provides
uniform field. Its velocity along the axis is less than the
velocity of light.
• Collector.
1.Electr beam gun
2.RF input
3. Magnet.
4.Attenuator.
5. Solenoid.
6.RFoutput power.
7.Vacuum tube.
8. Collector.
TWTPA Structure
TWTPA Schematic diagram
TWTPA Schematic diagram
TWTPA Structure
TWTPA Structure
TWTPA operation
Operation:
1. When the cathode is heated by the filament, it emits
electrons beam using thermo ionic emission. SWS
confines (or guides) the electron beam to travel via the
solenoid. It provides a uniform field. It focuses the
electrons into a tight beam.
TWTPA operation
2.The RF input weak signal power is applied into the solenoid

at the end nearest the cathode. SWS slow down or decelerate
it or reduce its speed. The velocity is reduced by helix pitch to
circumference ratio. Thus, the speed becomes less than the
speed of plane wave in free space. This is due to interaction
between electron beam and the electromagnetic wave (EMW).
TWTPA operation
3.The kinetic energy in the electron beam is converted into

potential energy in the electromagnetic wave (EMW). The RF
signal is amplified by absorbing power of the electron beam.
This electron beam is bunch up or velocity modulation or
amplified by interaction between electron beam and the
electromagnetic wave (WMW). The beam velocity is
determined by DC on tube collector.
TWTPA operation
4.The electron beam are collected by collector.

Attenuator prevent any reflected wave from travelling
back down the solenoid i.e. attenuator stop it.
TWTPA Advantages
1. TWTPA package including power supplies have small size and weigh
less i.e. have light weight.
2. TWTPA has good thermal stability i.e. stable over different
temperatures.
3. TWTPA provides high amplification over a wide range of bandwidth
as high as two octaves. It has higher output power (up to 3KW).
4. TWTPA is more reliable.
5. TWTPA is more efficient especially in back off state (BO).
TWTPA disadvantages
1. TWTPA requires high voltage for cathode (on the order of 10000
volt).
2. TWTPA has limited life time (up to one hundred thousand hour
continuous operation) since cathode has a finite source of available
electrons.
3. Without back off (BO), at saturation point of operation, nonlinear
part of transfer characteristic intermodulation noise arises.
Solid state power amplifier (SSPA)
• Solid state power amplifier (SSPA) uses Gallium Arsinide (GaAs) field
effect transistor (FET) as amplifier. SSPA consists of low power section,
medium power section and high power section.
• Low power section consists of six amplifiers in series while medium
power section consists of two amplifier in parallel. High power section
consists of many stages in parallel. Practically, four parallel stages
(eight parallel stages can be used) are combined at the output.
• Theoretically combining four stages in parallel increases the output
power four times but due to combining loss, the output power only
increases about three times.
Solid state power amplifier (SSPA) with four parallel
output stages. Typical C-band GaAs FET PA
800 W SSPA S-band
5KW SSPA at S-band
it consists of eight 800 W modules
SSPA disadvantages
1. SSPA consumes high current (up to 100 Ampere).

2. SSPA has less output power ( typically at C-band up to 45 Watts. At
Ku-band up to 15 Watts).
3. SSPA is less efficient than TWTPA.
4. SSPA package (including power supply and heat sink) has larger size
and more weight.
5. SSPA and driver amplifier are not stable at different temperatures.
They need to be temperature compensated.
6. SSPA ‘power supply reliability is a problem.
SSPA advantages
1. SSPA has non limited life time (mean time between failures (MTBFs)
is 100000 hours of continuous operation.
2. SSPA RF modules are smaller.
TWTPA versus SSPA
TWTPA versus SSPA
Two cavity klystron power amplifier
• Klystrons was developed in 1937 by American
engineers Russell and Sigurd Varian. It is used as
amplifiers at microwave frequencies.
• Construction
• It consists of glass bulb evacuated and contains two
cavities :the buncher cavity and catcher cavity. The
electron gun comprises a filament as a heater, cathode
and anode. Finally collector.
Two cavity klystron power amplifier operation
1-The electron beam is produced by the cathode by

making use of a heating element(filament) and the high
positive potential at the anode provides the required
acceleration to the electron beam initially.
2- The electric field produced by the positive anode
attract the electrons forming electron beam.
3-The RF signal is applied at the first cavity, modulate the
electron beam velocity and forms electron bunches.
4-Electrons with high kinetic energy cross the second cavity,

then deliver their kinetic energy to form RF power in the
second cavity. Thus, RF is amplified by the electrons kinetic
energy at the buncher cavity. The region between two cavities
is known as drift space.
5-To allow focussed propagation of electron beam inside the
tube an external electromagnetic winding is used that generates
a longitudinal magnetic field. This is done in order to prevent
the spreading of the beam inside the tube.
The amplified RF signal is achieved at the catcher cavity. Also,
a collector is present near the second cavity that collects the
electron bunch.
6-After the second cavity, electrons are collected by using
collector.
TWTPA versus Klystron PA
• In TWT PA, a continuous interaction is
maintained between the field and electron beam.
• In klystrons PA, interaction between the field
and electron beam is allowed to occur only at the
cavities of the structure.

TWTPA and SSPA Lecture

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

TWTPA and SSPA Lecture

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

TWTPA and SSPA Lecture

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

C- band transponder block diagram(PA)

Transponder power amplifier

2.The RF input weak signal power is applied into the solenoid

3.The kinetic energy in the electron beam is converted into

4.The electron beam are collected by collector.

1. SSPA consumes high current (up to 100 Ampere).

1-The electron beam is produced by the cathode by

4-Electrons with high kinetic energy cross the second cavity,

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.