High speed electron beam semiconductor digital multiplexer

A system for time multiplexing together the digital signal outputs of a plurality of digital data sources comprising:

• a plurality of field effect cathodes arranged in a ring, each of said cathodes providing a separate beam of electrons,
• an electron target,
• means for providing a potential between the cathodes and the target so as to accelerate said beams towards the target,
• means for modulating each of said beams with the signal output of a separate one of said data sources whereby each beam is present only when the modulating signal therefor has a predetermined digital sense,
• means for providing an RF signal,
• a delay line receiving said RF signal and having a plurality of sections each for providing a predetermined incremental delay in said RF signal,
• a beam control member past which each of said beams passes, the output of a separate section of said delay line being fed to each of said beam control members, and
• means for focusing each of said beams, when present, onto said target,
• whereby the beams are sequentially gated through their associated control members to the target at a rate determined by the frequency of the RF signal.