DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES FOR ON-LINE MONITORING OF HIGH SPEED DATA IN HIGH VOLTAGE PULSED POWER SYSTEM

Diagnostic technique and their associated hardware play an important role in evaluating high voltage /current pulsed power systems like present day Radar Transmitters, which operate at high voltages/currents. These diagnostic techniques can be used for on-line monitoring of important parameters of Radar Transmitter to ascertain its health during operation on pulse to pulse basis. In this paper, a typical radar transmitter is discussed in the light of these techniques. In radar transmitter, the most commonly used final power amplif- iers like Travelling Wave Tube (TWT), Klystron, Cross Field Amplifier (CFA) etc., operate at very high volta- ges, of the order of 50 KV and above. The tube paramet- ers such as filament voltage/current, beam voltage/ cu- rrent, tube bias voltages etc. are to be continuously monitored on pulse to pulse basis to ascertain that the tube is working at proper operating point. The techniques adopted for parameters (voltage/current) which are floating with respect to ground, bringing down these parametric values referenced to ground level for monitoring, comparison and to take a suitable action for fail-safe operation, are described and analysed. The effectiveness of these techniques are evaluated at higher Pulse Repetition Frequencies (PRF's) and at the operating voltage beyond 50 KV.