Author_Institution :
Linear Accel. Center, Stanford, CA, USA
Abstract :
As part of an improvement project on the linear accelerator at SLAC, it was necessary to replace the original thyratron trigger generator, which consisted of two chassis, two vacuum tubes, and a small thyratron. All solid-state, fast rise, and high voltage thyratron drivers, therefore, have been developed and built for the 244 klystron modulators. The rack mounted, single chassis driver employs a unique way to control and generate pulses through the use of an asymmetric SCR, a PFN, a fast pulse transformer, and a saturable reactor. The resulting output pulse is 2 kV peak into 50 Ω load with pulse duration of 1.5 μs FWHM at 180 Hz. The pulse risetime is less than 40 ns with less than 1 ns jitter. Various techniques are used to protect the SCR from being damaged by high voltage and current transients due to thyratron breakdowns. The end-of-line clipper (EOLC) detection circuit is also integrated into this chassis to interrupt the modulator triggering in the event of a high percentage of line reflections occurring
Keywords :
driver circuits; electron accelerators; linear colliders; overcurrent protection; overvoltage protection; pulse transformers; thyratrons; 180 kHz; 2 kV; 40 ns; 50 ohm; SLC; asymmetric SCR; current transients; end-of-line clipper detection circuit; high voltage transients; klystron modulators; pulse risetime; pulse transformer; saturable reactor; thyratron driver; Breakdown voltage; Electron tubes; Inductors; Klystrons; Linear accelerators; Pulse generation; Pulse transformers; Solid state circuits; Thyratrons; Thyristors;
