In order to suppress the amount of time needed for the start-up of a microwave tube carried out when voltage fed from a power source has decreased, while avoiding increase in scale of a power storage unit, this power supply device includes: a power supply unit that supplies power fed from the power source to the microwave tube that is provided with a cathode, a heater for heating the cathode, an anode, and a collector; a power storage unit that stores the fed power and, if the voltage of the fed power decreases, supplies stored power that is power obtained by the power storing, to the microwave tube; and a power supply switching unit that, if the voltage of the fed power decreases, stops supplying the stored power to the anode and does not stop supplying the stored power to the heater.

Provided are a traveling wave tube and a high-frequency circuit system such that the product life span of the traveling wave tube operating in multiple modes can be extended while variations in gain and amplification efficiency that accompany switching of the operation modes can be suppressed. The traveling wave tube comprises: an electron gun equipped with a cathode that releases electrons, and a heater that provides the cathode with heat energy for releasing the electrons; a helix causing an RF signal to interact with an electron beam formed from the electrons released by the electron gun; a collector for catching the electron beam emitted by the helix; an anode whereby the electrons released from the electron gun are guided into the helix; and a magnetic field application device for generating a magnetic field in order to change the diameter of the electron beam, said magnetic field application device being supplied with electric power for generating the magnetic field from the outside.

The present invention relates to a modulator system adapted to generate high voltage pulses suitable for supply across a high voltage load having a thermionic cathode, such as a magnetron. The modulator system comprises a high voltage DC PSU connected to a switching mechanism adapted to generate high voltage pulses from the high voltage DC PSU for application to a thermionic cathode of a high voltage load. The modulator system further comprises an isolation transformer; a heater PSU adapted to be connected to a cathode heater through the isolation transformer and to provide an AC current thereto. The modulator system further comprises a controller to receive pulse instruction signals and trigger generation of corresponding high voltage pulses by the switching mechanism, to calculate the estimated arrival time of a next pulse instruction signal, based on the time between previous pulse instruction signals, and disable the heater PSU for a preset time, commencing before the estimated arrival time of the next pulse instruction signal, such that no current is supplied from the heater PSU while current is supplied from the high voltage PSU.

A travelling-wave tube includes an input apparatus, a control circuit, an electron gun, a slow-wave circuit, and an output apparatus. The input apparatus may be configured to receive a radio frequency signal, and feed the radio frequency signal into the slow-wave circuit. The control circuit may be configured to determine a quantity N of electron beams and currents of the N electron beams, and control the electron gun to emit the N electron beams. Further, the slow-wave circuit may perform beam-wave interaction with the N electron beams, to amplify power of the radio frequency signa, and because the slow-wave circuit works in a saturation region, electronic efficiency of the travelling-wave tube can be greater than or equal to a first threshold. The output apparatus may output an amplified radio frequency signal.

Provided are a traveling wave tube and a high-frequency circuit system such that the product life span of the traveling wave tube operating in multiple modes can be extended while variations in gain and amplification efficiency that accompany switching of the operation modes can be suppressed. The traveling wave tube comprises: an electron gun equipped with a cathode that releases electrons, and a heater that provides the cathode with heat energy for releasing the electrons; a helix causing an RF signal to interact with an electron beam formed from the electrons released by the electron gun; a collector for catching the electron beam emitted by the helix; an anode whereby the electrons released from the electron gun are guided into the helix; and a magnetic field application device for generating a magnetic field in order to change the diameter of the electron beam, said magnetic field application device being supplied with electric power for generating the magnetic field from the outside.

An energy supply unit for a traveling wave tube is configured to transform a first voltage present at a low voltage interface into a second voltage providable at a high voltage interface. The second voltage is greater than the first voltage and corresponds to a required operating voltage of the traveling wave tube. The energy supply unit is configured to receive a signal pattern via a signal input interface and to output a control signal via a control interface to the traveling wave tube for operating the traveling wave tube based on the signal pattern and to gradually and/or iteratively align or adapt the control signal to the signal pattern being present at the signal input interface when changing an operating mode of the traveling wave tube. A power draw at the beginning of the switched-on state may increase slowly and voltage drops at the high voltage supply may be minimized.

An energy supply unit for a traveling wave tube is configured to transform a first voltage present at a low voltage interface into a second voltage providable at a high voltage interface. The second voltage is greater than the first voltage and corresponds to a required operating voltage of the traveling wave tube. The energy supply unit is configured to receive a signal pattern via a signal input interface and to output a control signal via a control interface to the traveling wave tube for operating the traveling wave tube based on the signal pattern and to gradually and/or iteratively align or adapt the control signal to the signal pattern being present at the signal input interface when changing an operating mode of the traveling wave tube. A power draw at the beginning of the switched-on state may increase slowly and voltage drops at the high voltage supply may be minimized.

A traveling wave tube system includes a traveling wave tube, and a power supply device for supplying required power supply voltages to the respective electrodes of the traveling wave tube. The power supply device includes a control voltage generation circuit for generating a control voltage which is a negative DC voltage on the basis of a ground potential and supplying the control voltage to the anode, an anode voltage generation circuit for generating an anode voltage which is a negative DC voltage on the basis of the potential of the anode and supplying the anode voltage to the cathode, and a collector voltage generation circuit for generating a collector voltage which is a positive DC voltage on the basis of the potential of the cathode and supplying the collector voltage to the collector.

A traveling wave tube system includes a traveling wave tube, and a power supply device for supplying required power supply voltages to the respective electrodes of the traveling wave tube. The power supply device includes a control voltage generation circuit for generating a control voltage which is a negative DC voltage on the basis of a ground potential and supplying the control voltage to the anode, an anode voltage generation circuit for generating an anode voltage which is a negative DC voltage on the basis of the potential of the anode and supplying the anode voltage to the cathode, and a collector voltage generation circuit for generating a collector voltage which is a positive DC voltage on the basis of the potential of the cathode and supplying the collector voltage to the collector.

A lens assembly for a camera including a first lens mounted to a base portion, and a second lens mounted to a lens frame, where the first lens and the second lens are positioned co-axially along a central axis. The lens assembly includes a linear guide system for maintaining alignment of the first and second lenses. An embodiment of the linear guide system includes a first elongated element elongated along a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, parallel to and offset from the central axis. The elongated element may support and guide the lens frame for linear movement along a linear path parallel to the central axis. Some embodiments of the lens assembly include a second elongated element or rotation restriction element.