Tesat-spacecom Gmbh & Co Kg

Jochen Artmann

Hanspeter Katz

Gerhard Reinwald

Frederik John

Alexander Lampe

Ulrich Koeger

Erik Seiter

Eric Wolf

Christian Rapp

Ulrich Köger

A control device for a frequency generator of an ion thruster is described. The control device permits the detection of zero-crossings in a current and/or voltage characteristic during specific time intervals only, which detection is inhibited during other time intervals. Any incorrect switching performance of the control device associated with erroneously detected zero-crossings is prevented accordingly. A low-pass filter filters harmonics out of the detected current and/or voltage characteristics. A time-delay element offsets stray delays in the detection of zero-crossings. Additionally, plasma energy protective apparatuses are described, which attenuate the impact of any power flashover from a thruster unit to a power supply unit of an ion thruster.

Control device and plasma energy protective apparatus for an ion thruster

An energy supply unit for a traveling wave tube is configured to transform a first voltage present at a low voltage interface into a second voltage providable at a high voltage interface. The second voltage is greater than the first voltage and corresponds to a required operating voltage of the traveling wave tube. The energy supply unit is configured to receive a signal pattern via a signal input interface and to output a control signal via a control interface to the traveling wave tube for operating the traveling wave tube based on the signal pattern and to gradually and/or iteratively align or adapt the control signal to the signal pattern being present at the signal input interface when changing an operating mode of the traveling wave tube. A power draw at the beginning of the switched-on state may increase slowly and voltage drops at the high voltage supply may be minimized.

Energy supply unit for a traveling wave tube

A circuit board includes a plurality of conductive track levels disposed one above the other and insulation layers arranged between each of two adjacent conductive track levels. The circuit board includes a thermally conductive element, which includes ceramic, disposed between a first external insulation layer and a second external insulation layer.

Circuit board with ceramic inlays

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Weissach im Tal, Germany

Jochen Artmann