dB Control Introduces 700W, 15.5-17.8 GHz TWT Amplifier for Military Airborne Environments at AUVSI 2004
Fremont, Calif. – dB Control, a designer and manufacturer of high-power microwave amplifiers, power supplies, radar transmitters and specialized contract manufacturing services, is introducing the dB-3401B traveling wave tube (TWT) amplifier in Booth 528 at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) 2004 Symposium & Exhibition, August 3-5, 2004 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim.
The dB-3401B TWT Amplifier provides 700 Watts peak power over a frequency range of 15.5 GHz to 17.8 GHz and features a 45 dB minimum gain, VSWR of 2:1 input/1.5:1 load, 10-500 Ојsec pulse width, 30 kHz maximum pulse repetition frequency and 35 percent duty cycle. The dB-3401B’s small profile (4.25″ x 12.75″ x 7.6″), 20-pound weight, low power consumption, and reliable operation at altitudes of up to 55,000 feet and at relative humidity levels up to 100 percent, exceed the performance, reliability and physical requirements of military airborne applications, including Unmanned Aeronautical Vehicles (UAVs) with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems.
“To produce accurate four-inch-resolution images from altitudes of 55,000 feet, SAR systems require TWTAs that provide extremely good amplitude and phase stability,” said Meppalli Shandas, VP of marketing for dB Control. “The Model dB-3401B meets those performance requirements while consuming minimum onboard power. Plus, its small size and light weight help reduce payload.”
The dB-3401B TWTA is used aboard UAVs such as General Atomics’ Predator® and Predator II„ў to power General Atomics LYNX„ў SAR/GMTI (Ground Moving Target Indicator) system. At AUVSI 2004, dB Control will display a wall-size four-inch (0.1 meter resolution LYNX SAR image made possible by the dB-3401B TWTA. The display, called “tanks in a circle,” illustrates the precise details that can be captured through SAR imagery, including the varying depth of the tank tracks in the sand.
