Amplifier device with at least one microwave tube

Abstract

An amplifier device with at least one microwave tube, intended to be mounted on a satellite, includes a high voltage section directly connected to said microwave tube or tubes, a low voltage section, and a low voltage cabling assembly provided with low voltage connectors at the ends thereof connecting said low and high voltage sections.

Claims

1. An amplifier device with at least one microwave tube, configured to be mounted on a satellite, including a high voltage section directly connected to said microwave tube or tubes, a low voltage section, and a low voltage cabling assembly provided with low voltage connectors at the ends thereof connecting said low and high voltage sections, said high voltage section being arranged on the same base plate as the microwave tube or tubes, wherein said low voltage section includes a low voltage pre-regulator module, and a control and telemetry signal management module.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said low voltage cabling assembly includes at least one low voltage electrical power supply cable and a control and telemetry signal bus.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said high voltage section includes a high voltage generator module and a control and telemetry signal processing module.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said high voltage generator module of said high voltage section includes: a low voltage to high voltage converter module; and a high voltage rectifier and filter module.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said high voltage section includes a control module for activating/deactivating the microwave tube or tubes.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said low voltage is less than 200 V.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said high voltage is more than 200 V.

8. A satellite including a device according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be better understood from the study of some embodiments described by way of non-restrictive examples and illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an amplifier device with at least one microwave tube, according to the prior art; and

(3) FIGS. 2 to 4 schematically illustrate an amplifier device with at least one microwave tube, according to various aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) In all the figures, elements having the same references are similar. In the present description, the device is described for being integrated into a satellite, but in a non-restrictive way, since such a device may be integrated into any other system, notably a space system.

(5) As illustrated in FIG. 2, an amplifier device is provided according to one aspect of the invention.

(6) The amplifier device includes a low voltage section 14, a high voltage section 15, and at least one microwave tube 16, in this case, non-restrictively, a single one.

(7) The low voltage section 14 includes a low voltage pre-regulator module 17, and a control and telemetry signal management module 18.

(8) The high voltage section 15 includes a high voltage generator module 19, and a control and telemetry signal processing module 20.

(9) A low voltage cabling assembly 21 provided with low voltage connectors 22 at the ends thereof connects the low voltage section 14 and the high voltage section 15.

(10) The low voltage section 14 is provided with a bus connector 23 for the satellite electrical power supply for connecting the low voltage pre-regulator module 17 to the satellite electrical power supply bus, a bus connector 24 for the satellite control and telemetry signals for connecting the control and telemetry signal management module 18 and the satellite control and telemetry signal bus, and an amplifier-linearizer power supply interface connector 25 for connecting the control and telemetry signal management module 18 and the amplifier-linearizer.

(11) The microwave tube 16 is provided with an RF signal input 11 and an amplified RF signal output 12.

(12) FIG. 3 illustrates a particular embodiment of FIG. 2.

(13) The low voltage cabling assembly 21 may include at least one low voltage electrical power supply cable 21A and a control and telemetry signal bus 21B.

(14) In this embodiment, the high voltage generator module 19 of the high voltage section 15 includes a low voltage to high voltage converter module 19A and a high voltage rectifier and filter module 19B.

(15) In addition, the high voltage section 15 further includes a control module 28 for activating/deactivating the microwave tube or tubes, in this case two microwave tubes 16A and 16B. This control module 28 for activating/deactivating the microwave tubes 16A and 16B is used to decode and format signals emanating from the management module 18 via the bus 21B which are dedicated to the processing module 20 integrated into the high voltage section 15. The management module 18 is a device directly interfacing with the remote control and telemetry signal bus and identifies these signals in order to adapt and direct same towards the functions of the pre-regulator module 17 of the low voltage section 14 or towards the control and telemetry signal processing module 20 of the high voltage section 15 via the cable 21 integrating the bus 21B to do so.

(16) FIG. 4 schematically represents one embodiment of the invention in which said microwave tubes, in this case the two microwave tubes 16A and 16B are connected to the high voltage section 15 via short distance high voltage electrical cables 29, i.e. one to five tens of centimetres in length much less than the distance of the disconnectable cable 21 having a typical length of one to five metres.