L-3 Communications Electron Technologies, Inc.

Hughes Electronics Corporation

David Eric Lewis

Dan M Goebel

Ronglin Liou

An apparatus that includes a traveling-wave tube having an electron gun having a cathode. The apparatus also includes a first power supply for establishing a first electric potential between the cathode and an anode and for providing an operational current to the cathode to generate a beam of electrons. The apparatus also includes a slow-wave structure having a passage through which the beam of electrons passes. The apparatus also includes a second power supply for providing a voltage to a beam focusing electrode to establish an electric potential between the cathode and the beam focusing electrode. The apparatus also includes a switching module coupled to the first power supply and the second power supply, the switching module providing a current path between the cathode and the beam focusing electrode, wherein the current path is disabled when a biasing current is below a predetermined level.

Traveling-wave tube turn-off body energy circuit

A protection circuit (,) for a Traveling Wave Tube having multiple tone operation. The protection circuit (,) is a dual sensor (,) arrangement. One sensor (,) is an operational amplifier circuit (,) having a short time constant and a high threshold current. The first sensor (,) provides protection against short time scale faults. The second sensor (,) is an operational amplifier circuit (,) having a time constant higher than the first sensor (,) and a lower current threshold than the first sensor (,) to provide protection against long time scale events. The two sensors (,and,) are logically &ldquo;OR&rdquo;ed with each other and eliminate spurious shutdowns and circuit damage.

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Torrance, CA, United States of America

David Eric Lewis