Compact solid state modulator system development

The paper describes the MPT5838/9, a successful development and commercial application of pulsed RF power manifested in a solid state modulator and magnetron as an RF source at a sub system level. The design is rated at 55 kV peak pulse amplitude at 250 A peak current with 10 kW mean power continuous operation driving high power magnetrons with output RF power of up to 5MW peak and 4 kW mean. It is based substantially on the FET- based solid-state direct-switched repetitive pulse modulator developed in the early part of the 21^st century (Ref ). We highlight the key technical challenges addressed during the development, including performance issues, fault handling, and control of a compact solid state modulator.