Improvements in pulse transformer performance achieved using pulsed reset circuitry

The pulse transformer is ubiquitous in pulsed power application circuits including radar modulator circuits, particle accelerator circuits, and pulsed plasma implantation circuits. Traditionally these devices have been reset using a DC current source connected to the system via a reset inductor. The power required to reset the system in this manner depends on the resistance of the wire, the convenience of the power supply voltage, the repetition rate, and the requirement for reproducibility. A pulsed reset circuit by contrast is only triggered when required, and it can be programed to produce a reproducible reset independent of repetition rate. Most importantly, the pulsed reset leads to a decrease in magnetization current of the order of a factor of 3 for some conditions materials. In low current applications, this leads to a significant increase in performance when compared to DC reset.