Ka-band Space Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers

In late 2002, L-3 Communications Electron Technologies Inc. (L-3 ETI) tested the first 999H TWT, a model designed for deep space communications. The CW saturated RF output power of the 999H is 100 W, and the unit achieved 60% overall efficiency at 32 GHz (Robbins, 2004). The expected data transmission rate capability from this TWT was significantly greater than the previous state of the art. In 2005 L-3 ETI demonstrated CW saturated RF output power in excess of 200 W at 32 GHz and at efficiencies exceeding 61% with the "next generation" 999HA TWT (Menninger, 2005). The 999HA is expected to have application as a single unit or in power-combined systems so that deep space missions can achieve total output power of as much as 1 kW (Komm, 2005). In addition to the 2000H-2300H family of 7kV electronic power conditioners (EPCs) that can be integrated with these TWTs for lower power applications, L-3 ETI has designed the 14kV 1693HC EPC to support higher power applications for this family of TWTs in order to provide turn-key TWTA solutions at all power levels. These EPCs are designed to operate with either regulated or unregulated spacecraft bus configurations