UNIT - 4
ACTIVE MICROWAVE COMPONENTS
CONTENTS:
◼ Limitations of conventional tubes, O and M type classification of
microwave tubes, re-entrant cavity, velocity modulation. Construction,
operation, performance analysis and applications of - Single cavity and two
cavity klystron, Cylindrical wave magnetron and Helix traveling wave.
Construction, working principle and applications of two terminal microwave
devices such as tunnel diode, Gunn Diode, PIN Diode, Schottky Barrier Diode
and Varactor.
◼ Reference Books:
◼ [1]. M.Kulkarni,”Microwave And RADAR Engineering”, Fifth Edition,Umesh Publication.
◼ [2].Samuel Liao,, Microwave Devices and Circuits”, Third Edition, Person
OUTLINE
◼ Limitations of Conventional Tubes
◼ Classification of Microwave Tubes
◼ Performance analysis and applications of Single cavity and Two cavity
Klystron
◼ Cylindrical Wave Magnetron
◼ Helix Travelling Wave Tube
OBJECTIVES
◼ To understand limitations of conventional tubes.
◼ To analyse the performance of Single cavity and Two cavity Klystron.
◼ To study the working principle of Magnetron and its phase focusing effect.
◼ To understand the construction, operation and applications of helix travelling
wave tube.
Limitations of Conventional Tubes
The limitations of conventional tubes at high frequencies is due to
:
(a) Inter-electrode capacitance effect
(b) Lead Inductance effect
(c) Transit Time effect
(d) RF Losses(Skin, Dielectric, Radiation)
(e) Gain Bandwidth limitation
a) Inter-electrode capacitance effect
And
b) Lead Inductance effect
Figure: Inter-electrode capacitance and Lead Inductance
(c) Transit Time effect:
Figure: Transit Time effect
(e) Gain Bandwidth limitation: At higher frequency for a particular circuit or tube, higher gain can be achieved by
decreasing the bandwidth.
At microwave circuit gain bandwidth limitations can be overcome by use of: Re-entrant cavities, slow wave
structures for large gain over large bandwidth.
Reflex Klystron working, oscillator and Applegate diagram
Two cavity Klystron Amplifier's (Working, Amplification and Applegate diagram)
(d) RF Losses(Skin, Dielectric, Radiation)
i)Skin effect losses (conductor or I2 R losses): These losses come into play at higher frequencies at which the current has
the tendency to confine itself to a smaller cross-section of the conductor towards its outer surface. This losses can be
reduced by increasing the size of the conductor.
ii)Dielectric Losses: These losses are due to the insulating materials used in the devices such as spacers, glass envelope,
silicon or plastic capsulations etc.
Losses in any of material is given as,
P = πf. Vo2 r tanσ
As frequency increases loses also increases; The remedy for this is to eliminate the tube base and to reduce the surface
area of glass.
iii) Radiation Losses:
Radiation losses increases with increase in frequency. These loses can be limited by proper shielding of the tubes and its
circuitry.
(e) Gain Bandwidth limitation: At higher frequency for a particular circuit or tube, higher gain can be achieved by
decreasing the bandwidth.
At microwave circuit gain bandwidth limitations can be overcome by use of: Re-entrant cavities, slow wave
structures for large gain over large bandwidth.
Classification of Microwave Tubes:
Microwave Tubes
O-type M-type
(Linear Beam Tube) (Cross Field
Klystron Tube)
Tube,Travelling wave Magnetron
Tube
Klystron Tubes:
Klystron tube is a vacuum tube thatcan be operated either as an
oscillator
Or as an amplifier at microwave frequencies.
Two basic configurations of klystron tubes are :
1. Multicavity klystron which is used as a low power microwave amplifier.
2. Reflex klystron which is used as a low power microwave oscillator.
Two Cavity Klystron Amplifier (O-Type of tube)
Figure: Two Cavity Klystron Amplifier
Figure: Applegate diagram of Klystron Amplifier
e-magnitude of electron
m-mass of electron
βi - Beam coupling coefficient of
the input cavity gap. i.e. coupling
between the electron beam and
buncher cavity
θg – Average gap transit angle
Multicavity Klystron
Figure: Multicavity Klystron (4 Cavity)
Two Cavity Klystron Oscillator
Figure: Frequency Vs Impedance
Reflex Klystron
Figure: Reflex Klystron
Figure: Applegate Diagram
Applications of Reflex Klystron:
1. Radar receivers.
2. Local oscillator in microwave receivers.
3. Signal source in microwave generator of variable
frequency.
4. Portable microwave links.
5. Pump oscillator in parametric amplifier.
Performance Characteristics:
1. Frequency: 2 – 200 GHz
2. Power: 10 mW – 2.5 W
3. Theoretical efficiency : 22.78 %
4. Practical efficiency : 10 % - 20 %
5. Bandwidth :30MHz for ΔVR = ± 10
Volt
Operating Characteristics:
Favorable transit time: n*3/4
Figure: Voltage Characteristics of Reflex Klystron
Figure: Power output Vs Frequency Characteristics
Traveling Wave Tube (TWT) (O-Type of
tube)
TWT is an amplifier that makes use of distributed interaction
between electron beam and a travelling wave.
•It is mainly used for amplification of high frequencies. i.e.3000 MHz or
above.
•Its principle feature is based on a slow wave structure.
•The RF wave propagate at the speed of light, while electron beam
propagate at much slow velocity. Therefore the mechanism that
reduces RF wave phase velocity in a TWT is a slow wave structure.
Operation:
Figure: Energy increase in RF wave
Interaction between electron beam and electric field
Wave modes in TWT
Wave Equations:
Performance Characteristics of TWT
1. Frequency of operation: 0.5GHz to 95GHz.
2. Power Outputs: 5mW (10-40GHz)(Low Power TWT)
250kW(CW) at 3GHz (High Power
TWT) 10MW (pulsed) at 3GHz
3. Efficiency: 5- 20%
4. Noise Figure: 4-6db
Comparison Between Klystron Tube and
TWTA
Klystron Amplifier TWTA
1. Linear beam or 1. Linear beam or
„O‟ type Device „O‟
2. Uses Resonant cavities type device
for input and output 2. Uses non resonant
circuits wave circuits
3. Narrowband device
3. Wideband device
Applications:
1. Medium Power Satellite
2. Higher power satellite transponder output
3. Missile
4. Space Applications
5. Radar
Magnetron (M-Type of Tubes)
⮚ Crossed-field tubes.
⮚ DC magnetic and dc electric field are perpendicular to
each other.
⮚ It employs a radial electric field and axial magnetic field.
Types of Magnetron
There are three types of Magnetron
1. Negative Resistance Type
2. Cyclotron frequency type
3. Travelling Wave or Cavity type
Cavity Magnetron
Figure: (a) Constructional Detail of cavity magnetron (b) Magnetic lines of force in magnetron
8 Cavity Cylindrical Magnetron
Principle of operation
⮚Magnetron is a cross field device as the electric field between the anode and the cathode is
radial whereas the magnetic field produced by a permanent magnet is axial.
⮚A high DC potential can be applied between the cathode and anode which produces the
radial electric field.
⮚Depending on the relative strengths of the electric and magnetic fields, the electrons
emitted from the cathode and moving towards the anode will traverse through the
interaction space
⮚In the absence of magnetic field (B = 0), the electron travel straight from the cathode to the
anode due to the radial electric field force acting on it
Operation of Cavity Magnetron
▪8 Cavities are tightly coupled to each other.
▪N-cavity tightly coupled system will have N-mode of operation.
▪Modes must be self consistent so that the total phase shift around the ring cavity
resonators is 2πn where n is integer.
▪Correct minimum phase shift should be 45° (45° X 8 = 360°).
▪øV= relative phase change of the ac electric field across adjacent cavities then,
▪øV= 2πn /N… where n = 0, ±1, ±2, ±(N/2-1), ±N/2.
▪If n = N/2, øV = π…. Π mode.
▪If n = 0, øV = 0…. 0 mode.
Π – mode of Magnetron
⮚ This electron travels in a longest path from cathode to the anode as indicated by ‘a’ in
Fig, transferring the energy to the RF field are called as favoured electrons and are responsible
for bunching effect and give up most of its energy before it finally terminates on the anode
surface.
⮚ An electron „b‟ is accelerated by the RF field and instead of imparting energy to the
oscillations, takes energy from oscillations resulting in increased velocity, such electrons
are called unfavoured electrons which do not participate in the bunching process and cause
back heating.
⮚ Every time an electron approaches the anode “in phase” with the RF signal, it
completes a
cycle. This corresponds to a phase shift 2π.
Phase Focusing Effect
Figure: Phase Focusing Effect
Lines of force in PI
mode
Performance Characteristics : equivalent circuit of resonator
in Magnetron
Performance Characteristics
1. Power output: In excess of 250 kW ( Pulsed Mode), 10 mW (UHF band), 2
mW (X band), 8 kW (at 95 GHz)
2. Frequency: 500 MHz – 12 GHz
3. Duty cycle: 0.1 %
4. Efficiency: 40 % - 70 %
Applications of Magnetron
1. Pulsed radar is the single most important application with large pulse powers.
2. Voltage tunable magnetrons are used in sweep oscillators in telemetry and in missile
applications.
3. Fixed frequency, CW magnetrons are used for industrial heatingand
microwave
ovens.
