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FAQs
1. How does the “auto-CW” function operate in Tomco pulsed amplifiers?
Specifications for pulsed amplifiers typically include a figure for maximum pulse duty-cycle (20% for example), and also a figure for maximum pulse width (10 milliseconds for example). Such amplifiers usually include some form of duty-cycle and pulse width limiting which serves to protect the amplifier and any equipment connected to it, from excessive average power.
However, in many pulsed RF applications it is necessary to also be able to produce low-power bursts of continuous RF without any limitation on pulse width or duty-cycle.
All Tomco pulsed RF amplifiers are capable of CW operation at low power.
In many pulsed amplifiers it is necessary to switch between pulsed and CW mode (either manually or via a control interface) in order to permit CW operation, but with Tomco amplifiers this is not necessary as the switching is performed automatically. Provided that the RF input to the amplifier is sufficiently low, the duty-cycle limiter is disabled and CW operation is possible. When the RF input level is raised above a certain threshold (typically corresponding to about 10% of the full drive level), the duty-cycle limiter becomes active and the specified limits for pulsed operation are asserted. In other words, all you need to do to produce a CW output is reduce the RF input level and hold the gate input high.
As noted above, the threshold is typically about 10%. For example, a Tomco amplifier that is rated for 1kW pulsed will be able to produce around 100W of CW.
2. What is the difference between a pulsed amplifier and a CW amplifier? (or, can a CW amplifier be used for pulses?)
The most obvious difference lies in the ratio of peak to average power capability. A good quality pulsed amplifier that is rated for say 1kW pulsed power at 10% duty-cycle, will contain just as many power transistors as a 1kW CW amplifier. However, the power supply and cooling requirements for the pulsed amplifier are much less, since it is rated for only 100W average power.
Apart from that, RF amplifiers that are designed for pulsed operation include many features and specifications that will not be found in CW amplifiers. Pulsed amplifiers include high-speed noise gating, which reduces the output noise level to almost zero in-between pulses. This is important in applications such as NMR or radar, in which the inter-pulse signal levels of interest are extremely small.
Pulsed amplifiers generally must be capable of reproducing pulses with very fast rise and fall times, while amplifiers designed for CW operation often do not have that capability. 3. What protection do Tomco amplifiers incorporate?
Tomco RF amplifiers are protected against damage due to the following conditions:
- Over-temperature
- Over-drive
- Excessive duty-cycle
- Excessive pulse width
- Excessive load SWR
Note: SWR protection is not included in Tomco’s “brick” amplifier modules.
Definition of terms
| Rated power |
This is the minimum RF output power that the amplifier will produce, when the full specified input level is applied to it. The full specified input level for Tomco amplifiers is usually 0dBm (1 milliwatt).
The rated power specification for Tomco amplifiers is a guaranteed minimum. |
| P1dB |
This is the minimum RF output power level at which the amplifier’s gain will have dropped by 1dB compared to its gain at one-tenth output power. It is a measure of the amplifier’s linearity at high power levels.
The P1dB specification for Tomco amplifiers is a guaranteed minimum |
| P0dBm |
This is the output power from the amplifier when an input level of 0dBm is applied (0dBm is the standard maximum input level for Tomco amplifiers) |
| Pulse rise/fall time |
Pulse rise and fall times are measured between the 10% and 90% output voltage levels. The measurement is made using a “pre-gated” RF input signal so that the gate risetime and gate delay are not included in the figures |
| Gate delay |
Gate delay is measured from the rising edge of the applied gate pulse, to the point where RF just begins to appear at the amplifier output. The measurement is made using continuous RF applied to the amplifier’s RF input. It is typically less than 1 microsecond for Tomco pulsed amplifiers |
| Harmonics |
The RF output of a power amplifier always includes some internally-generated harmonics of the RF input signal. The harmonics are measured with the amplifier running at its specified P1dB level. They are expressed as “dBc” figures: for example, a third harmonic of -20dBc at 1MHz means that if you apply a pure 1MHz sinewave to the input of the amplifier, the output will include the amplified 1MHz signal plus a 3MHz signal that is 20dB (100 times) smaller |
| Gain flatness |
Gain flatness is a measure of how the gain of the amplifier changes with frequency. To ensure that the figure doesn’t include any false “improvements” due to gain compression, the gain flatness is measured at low signal levels – usually at one-tenth of the rated output power. For a broadband high-power amplifier, a gain flatness figure of +/-2dB is generally considered good.
It is important not to confuse gain flatness with rated output power; a Tomco amplifier that is rated for 1kW output will be capable of producing at least 1kW across its full frequency range. However, the RF input level required to produce that 1kW output will vary with frequency |
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Handbooks, Documents and Brochures
VT12B Radar Transmitter Handbook
Manual for software supplied with optional RS232/RS485/RS422 remote status monitoring
Pin out for 25-pin parallel status interface on amplifiers
Multidrop command reference for optional RS232/485/4822 remote status monitoring
Application notes for RF amplifier modules
Handbook for BTM00250-AlphaS RF amplifier module, 100kHz-30MHz
Handbook for BTM00250-AlphaSA RF amplifier module, 500kHz-150MHz
Additional technical data on Tomco amplifiers
Phase performance of Tomco Delta amps (100-600MHz)
Performance measurements for a BT01000-Gamma amplifier (5-200MHz, 1kW) |
