High power ceramic resistors square wave pulse and impulse testing

Ceramic resistors are used for many pulsed power applications and the accuracy of the performance is vital information. There were two different experiments used to determine the performance of this resistor: a square-wave pulse voltage and an impulse voltage. High voltage ceramic resistors were tested towards its maximum impulse limitations during these experiments. The pulse or impulse duration time was adjusted to maximize the energy and power delivered to the resistor. From these experiments, the amount of average power and energy absorbed by the resistor determined its limits regardless of the voltage profile curve during the pulse. The resistors were analyzed through a model initially, and then physically investigated. The ratings and results from the experiments are also represented graphically.