PULSED POWER AMPLIFIER APPARATUS INCLUDING INFINITELY VARIABLE OUTPUT LEVEL OVER A WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE

摘要

A pulsed power amplifier apparatus and method, for amplifying a pulsedsignal, has an input for a pulsed signal; usually this will be a continuouswave RF signal that has been passed through a switch unit to form a basicpulse train. A splitter is connected to the input and has two outputs, forsplitting the signal into two subsidiary signals. First and second branchesareconnected to the outputs of the splitter, each branch being for one of thesubsidiary signals. First and second adjustable phase shifters are located inthe first and second branches. A combiner is connected to the first andsecond branches and has an output forming a final output of the apparatus,whereby adjustment of the phase shifts effected by the first and secondphase shifters affects the amplitude of the signal at the final output of theapparatus. Rapid variation of the phase shift within each pulse can be usedto give a desired pulse shape.