Solid-State Pulse Generators

Pulse power support equipment includes pulse transformers, thyratron driver boards, ignitron drivers, spark gap triggers, fiber optic control systems and high voltage relays. Pulse transformers of all types are available, with a particular emphasis on pulse generators adapted to use with IGBT switching. The drivers and triggers are convenient building blocks for system fabrication.

North Star's high power, solid-state pulse generators (SSPG) have applications in radar, plasma processing for materials modification, electromagnetic pulse effects simulation, pulsed beam generation, food processing, high voltage processing and a variety of other areas. Our high power pulse generator offerings fall into 3 categories:

• above 200 MW, we build Marx generators and PFN Marx generators

• between ~ 10 MW and 200 MW, we offer thyratron switched systems

• at <10 MW, we build IGBT/Transformer and IGBT switched systems with pulse transformer output stages as required.

(Please note that the above values represent instantaneous power not average power, and the capabilities and applications of IGBT/transformer units are rapidly expanding as the capabilities of IGBTs increase.)

Our standard units are 20, 40 and 60 kW peak, and 1500 W or 3000 W average.

North Star SSPGs are designed and engineered to work in a high voltage environment and survive fast, high voltage transients.

For example, our solid-state Marx generator is capable of outputting high voltage square wave pulses of various widths. Although the current is limited by semiconductor technology, the voltage output is limited only by the number of stages specified. Unlike conventional Marx generators that are limited in lifetime by deteriorating spark gaps, North Star's SSPGs have a possibly limitless lifetime due to the use of semiconductor switches. And operation at high repetition rates is limited solely by charging supplies and/or cooling.

One of our SSPG systems discharging into a 2.5 Ohm load had an input voltage of 1 kV, and output of approximately 4 kV at 1.6 kA.

North Star will quote custom and semi-custom applications with requirements that deviate from standard product lines. Specifications and performance figures are subject to change without notice. Please contact us with your requirements or application needs to receive a quotation.

Compact Pulse Modulators up to > 500 kV
North Star’s compact pulse modulator represents a major advance in high power pulse generator technology with applications in flash x-ray, radar modulators, high power communications, lasers and particle accelerators.
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Flashlamp Pulse Generators
North Star designs and builds single-shot and PRR flashlamp generators with available simmer circuits or series pre-ionization injection to be used in applications requiring accurately controlled pulsewidths.
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Flexible IBGT Pulse Generators
North Star has perfected the technologies required to build IGBT pulse transformers which produce waveforms without compromise.
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High Power Pulsed RF Power Supplies
North Star high power pulsed RF power supplies are ruggedized and are designed to survive short circuits and high transient reflections.
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DCHV PowerLine
North Star's DCHV PowerLine Series of power supplies, ruggedized to live through short circuits and high transient reflections, deliver higher power density with erection of voltages of up to 100 kV.
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Fiber Optic Trigger Generator and Control System
North Star fiber optic trigger generator systems function as a combination of a powerful time delay generator and a rudimentary fiber optic isolated computer control system.
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Plasma Source Power Supply PPS-40
North Star's Plasma Source Power Supply PPS-40 produces on-demand, large volume plasma densities in excess of 1011/cc over 1 m3 for plasma ion implantation applications.
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