US 5,307,079 AGranted

Short pulse microwave source with a high PRF and low power drain

AssigneeAnro Engineering, Inc.

InventorsGerald F. Ross, Richard M. Mara, Kenneth W. Rollins

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Abstract

This invention describes a high voltage, very short pulse, microwave radiating source using low-cost components, and capable of operating at high pulse repetition frequencies (prf). The source is activated by an ordinary video trigger commensurate with driving TTL logic. A trigger will cause a chain of N (where N may be 12 or greater) avalanche transistors connected in a Marx generator configuration to threshold resulting in a 1,200 volt or greater baseband pulse having a rise time of less than 100 ps and a duration of about 3 ns driving the input port of a dipole antenna. The dipole is excited by a balun. This invention achieves very short pulse duration broadband microwave radiation at pulse repetition frequencies as high as 30 kHz or greater.

Claims3

Dependent claims

Balun apparatus for matching a coaxial line to a balanced dipole and providing a wideband matching circuit to minimize microwave pulse packet dispersion comprising:

an avalanche diode to provide a step function transition necessary for efficient short pulse radiation;
an elongated, generally cylindrical, outer conductor having an inner diameter and an outer diameter about a longitudinal axis, said outer conductor having two slots parallel to and opposite each other and parallel to said longitudinal axis, each of said slots having an opening at a terminal end and each having a length of one quarter wave length at a nominal spectral centroid of the transmission, a centroid frequency may be varied by simply changing the antenna balun dimensions;
an elongated, generally cylindrical, inner conductor having an outer diameter smaller than said inner diameter of said outer conductor, said inner conductor coaxial to said outer conductor, said avalanche diode being directly connected between said inner conductor at said terminal end and said outer conductor at said terminal end, equally distant between said slots;
and
a dipole connected to said outer conductor at said terminal end midway between said slots and connected to said avalanche diode for filtering a slower nanosecond rise time excitation pulse from a fast radiated signal caused by said avalanche diode.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/007,332Filed 21 Jan 1993 · division
Priority: 14 Jun 1991
Granted: 26 Apr 1994
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H01Q 9/28
With feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole: conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements…
H01Q 23/00
Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached
H03K 3/335
Generators characterised by the type of circuit or by the means used for producing pulses: by the use, as active elements, of semiconductor…
H01Q
Antennas, i.e. radio aerials