ATEC offers affordable TWT amplifier rental rates for traveling wave tube amps from leading manufacturers like Advanced Amplifiers, Amplifier Research, and IFI.
What is a TWT Amplifier?
TWT amplifiers, also known as TWT power amplifiers, use vacuum tube technology to amplify RF and microwave signals to either strengthen a weak signal or simulate a signal’s effect on a device. Traveling wave tubes make for high-gain, low-noise and wide-bandwidth RF amplifiers. A TWT amp will generally operate from 300 MHz to frequencies beyond 150 GHz, with some amplifiers going beyond 500 GHz.
Traveling Wave Tube (TWT) amplifiers, or TWTAs, are also known for their reliability and long lifetimes; they are preferable over solid state power amplifiers (SSPAs) in some applications due to their capacity to generate a higher output power for a given frequency than a solid state amplifier would.
TWT power amplifiers are used for broadband applications like radar, satellite communications and broadcasting.
How Does a TWT Power Amplifier Work?
TWT technology consists of a linear-beam vacuum tube used to amplify an RF signal by absorbing the power of a beam of electrons sent through the tube. A travelling wave tube itself is a cylindrical structure with an integrated electron gun from a cathode tube. The gun focuses an electron beam at the velocity of light, which is guided to focus by a magnetic field. A helix serves as a slow wave structure, retarding propagation at the velocity of light.
Types of TWT Amplifiers
The two primary types of TWTAs are Helix and Coupled Cavity amplifiers.
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Helix TWT amplifiers are low power amps that work by sending radio waves down a helix-shaped wire. A helix amplifier is ideal in applications that call for low noise, high sensitivity, and broadband operation, i.e. test equipment and radar receivers.
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Coupled-Cavity TWT amps are higher power, designed to amplify signals for high-power transmitters. Instead of a helix wire, these TWTs send the sign through cavity resonators. Their higher output power is paired with a narrower bandwidth.
TWT amplifiers can also be divided into broadband and narrowband.
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Broadband TWT power amplifiers generate an output power of up to 2.5 kW.
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Narrowband TWT amplifiers utilize coupled cavity traveling wave tubes, which deliver power levels up to 15 kW.