High
voltage power supplies for use in radar and electronic warfare applications.
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In the 1980s we began building a highly skilled team of power supply
engineers and, in 1989, launched the first in a range of ruggedised
military power supplies. These can be configured to drive virtually
any manufacturer's TWT for use in a wide range of radar and EW applications
worldwide.
Designed for the most demanding applications
The basis of the design is innovative, switched mode technology,
which offers many features desirable for modern radar and EW applications;
high efficiency, ultra low voltage ripple (low noise), high inverter
frequencies, ultra low pulse-pulse jitter, low throughput delay
and high power density. The units are lightweight and compact with
excellent thermal management and feature a modular design for ease
of maintenance. Modern software design tools are regularly employed
including Protel, Orcad and PSPICE.
In recognition of TMD’s
high status within the aerospace and avionics industries, we were
awarded the contract to design and manufacture a new high voltage
power supply unit for the Eurofighter Programme.
Pushing the boundaries of technology
There are many examples of how we have successfully tackled difficult
challenges; for example, an EW customer required a power supply
with throughput delay of 40 ns (the best they had been able to achieve
was 76 ns). Although we considered this to be challenging, the contract
was accepted and after 9 months the target was achieved.
Other examples include the development of novel ceramic PCB substrates
and silicon dipped components to reduce thermal expansion problems;
and, as a result of one customer's need to dissipate considerable
heat very quietly, we have designed and now manufacture one of the
best high voltage heat management systems in the world.
We are currently working on a new generation of radar power supplies
at the very leading edge of the technology. Typical examples of
performance are; very low close-to-carrier phase noise of -120 dBc/Hz
random, -90 dBc spurious, very high PRF up to 200 kHz and a wide
range of pulse widths from 200ns to 100 µs.
