Power Flexible Ka-band Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers of Up to 250-W RF for Space Communications

The latest model Ka-band helix traveling wave tube (TWT) amplifier designed and manufactured for onboard space satellite-communications systems at L-3 Communications Electron Technologies, Inc. is significantly improved over previous generations. This present-generation (model 999HA) TWT has demonstrated over 250-W RF output power over the 31.8- to 32.3-GHz deep-space frequency band with an overall efficiency exceeding 61% Robbins (Proc. IEEE Int. Vacuum Electron, 2006). In addition, the 999HA has low distortion and has demonstrated over 100-W RF output with 9-GHz instantaneous bandwidth. This TWT is expected to have application as a single unit or in power-combined systems so that deep-space missions can achieve a total RF output power of as much as 1 kW Wintucky (Proc. IEEE Int. Vacuum Electron, 2006). The 999HA can be mated to either 7-kV electronic power conditioners (EPCs) for low-power applications or to a recently developed 14-kV EPC (model 1693HC) to support higher power applications