Solid-state double resonant pulser

Claim 1

A solid-state double resonant switched pulser circuit for controlling the beam current of a high-frequency electromagnetic energy transmission device such as a klystron having at least one control element including an input capacitance which is adapted to be resonantly charged and discharged from a source of supply voltage, comprising in combination: a coupling capacitor having one side thereof coupled to said one control element; a resonant charging circuit coupled to the other side of said coupling capacitor and including, a first plurality of synchronously switched cascode-connected solid-state switch means, each having a pair of output electrodes and an input electrode; first circuit means coupling one of said pair of output electrodes of the first switch means of said first plurality of switch means to said source of supply voltage; first transformer means for operating said first plurality of switch means and having a primary winding and a plurality of secondary windings; second circuit means coupling said primary winding to a first electrical control signal; third circuit means respectively coupling said plurality of secondary windings to the input electrode of said first plurality of switch means, being operable to couple said first control signal thereto for rendering all of said first plurality of solid-state switch means simultaneously conductive during a first half cycle of operation and nonconductive during a second half cycle of operation; a first normally nonsaturable inductor, forming a resonant charge circuit in combination with the input capacitance of said device, having one end thereof coupled in series to the other output electrode of the last of said first plurality of switch means; and a first semiconductor blocking diode coupling the other end of said first inductor in series to said other end of said coupling capacitor, being selectively poled to permit current flow through said resonant charge circuit from said source of supply voltage during said first half cycle of operation; and a separate resonant discharge circuit for said input capacitance commonly coupled to said one side of said coupling capacitor and including, a second plurality of synchronously switched cascode-connected solid-state switch means, each having a pair of output electrodes and an input electrode; fourth circuit means coupling one of said pair of output electrodes of the first of said second plurality of switch means to a point of reference potential; second transformer means having a primary winding and a plurality of secondary windings; fifth circuit means coupling said primary winding of said second transformer means to a second electrical control signal applied in timed relationship with said first electrical control signal; sixth circuit means respectively coupling said plurality of secondary windings of said second transformer means to said input electrode of said second pluralitY of switch means, being a second normally nonsaturable inductor, forming a resonant discharge circuit in combination with said input capacitance, having one end thereof coupled to the other output electrode of the last of said second plurality of switch means; and a second semiconductor blocking diode coupling the other end of said second inductor in series to said other end of said coupling capacitor, being selectively poled to permit current flow through said resonant discharge circuit during said second half cycle of operation.