This thesis focuses on the design and development of a feedback controlled radio frequency power supply. The power supply and controller create a stable microwave-induced microplasma. This system fulfills many of the requirements necessary for incorporating plasma technology into handheld devices for chemical analysis by emission spectroscopy.;The control system was simulated using Simulink and implemented with a PIC18F2550 microcontroller. It is responsible for evaluating the attached plasma generator to find the correct resonance frequency necessary to start the microplasma. Once the microplasma source is operating, the controller maintains constant absorbed power in the non-linear load at the optimal driving frequency.;The RF source developed in this work allows automatic operation and control of the microplasma with changing temperature and pressure for the first time. This is a key step in adapting this source for wide scale integration into robust environmental sensors.
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