A solid-state Marx-type trigger generator

An all-solid-state Marx-type trigger generator has been designed and constructed. A configuration of transistors is used in a Mark bank circuit to generate a fast-rising, low-jitter, high-voltage pulse. The transistor switch in each stage is a pnp-npn pair connected together so as to emulate a four-layer diode or thyristor. This configuration eliminates stage-to-stage triggering difficulties since successive stages are triggered by a traveling overvoltage wave. The output pulse parameters of a prototype circuit (six stages charged to 350 V) are 2000 V_peak (into 100Ω), 50 ns risetime (10%-90%), 200 ns duration (FWHM), and a pulse-to-pulse jitter of less than 2 ns. The circuit, which is being used as a grid driver for a hydrogen thyratron, is very simple and inexpensive to construct