Disclosed is a method for producing a stage for amplifying the power of a variable envelope signal including at least one amplifier. For each amplifier, a form of ideal variation in average power POUT.sub.L is selected. For each value of each setting parameter and for each average input power value, a value of an optimisation criterion is calculated on the basis of the mathematical expectation of at least one optimisation parameter. An optimum value of each setting parameter is determined and the amplification stage is produced with a number of amplifiers in parallel determined on the basis of an average output power value and with, for each amplifier, matching circuits providing the optimum values of the setting parameters. The invention also relates to an amplification stage produced in this manner.

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.

There is provided an electronic amplification apparatus (40) comprising a travelling wave tube amplifier (20) and a limiter (10), wherein the configuration of the amplifier (20) is optimised whilst maintaining signal linearity for operation with improved DC power efficiency at an operating point below saturation, and the limiter (10) is arranged to prevent the output power of the amplifier from going beyond a predetermined limit. This can prevent possible damage. There is also provided a multiport amplifier system (50) containing the electronic amplification apparatus (40), and a multi-feed, multi-amplifier phased array type antenna system (130) containing the electronic amplification apparatus (40), and a satellite communications system comprising the electronic amplification apparatus (40) or the multiport amplifier system (50) or the multi-feed, multi-amplifier phased array type antenna system (130).

There is provided an electronic amplification apparatus (40) comprising a travelling wave tube amplifier (20) and a limiter (10), wherein the configuration of the amplifier (20) is optimised whilst maintaining signal linearity for operation with improved DC power efficiency at an operating point below saturation, and the limiter (10) is arranged to prevent the output power of the amplifier from going beyond a predetermined limit. This can prevent possible damage. There is also provided a multiport amplifier system (50) containing the electronic amplification apparatus (40), and a multi-feed, multi-amplifier phased array type antenna system (130) containing the electronic amplification apparatus (40), and a satellite communications system comprising the electronic amplification apparatus (40) or the multiport amplifier system (50) or the multi-feed, multi-amplifier phased array type antenna system (130).

A power tube driver of a class-D audio amplifier includes high-side and low-side fixed charge/discharge gate driving circuits, high-side and low-side power tubes, a dead time generation circuit based on gate voltage detection, high-side and low-side gate charge/discharge accelerating circuits, and high-side and low-side gate voltage detection circuits. The class-D audio amplifier with the features of low radiation interference, and high efficiency, linearity and robustness can be balanced easily.

A high-frequency module can be used in communication satellites. The high-frequency module contains an electronic unit and a housing. The housing at least partially encloses the electronic unit, and the electronic unit is arranged at least partially in an interior space of the housing. An internal connector is arranged on the housing, which is coupled to the electronic unit such that electrical signals can be transmitted between the electronic unit and the internal connector. The internal connector is constructed integrally with at least a part of the housing. This allows a thermo-mechanical stress on the electronic unit to be reduced.

A high-frequency module can be used in communication satellites. The high-frequency module contains an electronic unit and a housing. The housing at least partially encloses the electronic unit, and the electronic unit is arranged at least partially in an interior space of the housing. An internal connector is arranged on the housing, which is coupled to the electronic unit such that electrical signals can be transmitted between the electronic unit and the internal connector. The internal connector is constructed integrally with at least a part of the housing. This allows a thermo-mechanical stress on the electronic unit to be reduced.

A control circuit (16) is configured to detect the impedance P1 of a load (3) and control each of the reactance value L1 of a first variable reactance element (12), the reactance value L2 of a second variable reactance element (14), and the phase shift amount of a phase shifter (15) on the basis of the detected impedance P1. Consequently, impedance matching can be achieved even with the phase shifter (15) that performs discrete phase shift control.

A control circuit (16) is configured to detect the impedance P1 of a load (3) and control each of the reactance value L1 of a first variable reactance element (12), the reactance value L2 of a second variable reactance element (14), and the phase shift amount of a phase shifter (15) on the basis of the detected impedance P1. Consequently, impedance matching can be achieved even with the phase shifter (15) that performs discrete phase shift control.