Bonn Elektronik Pulsed Amplifiers
Pulsed RF Power Amplifiers for Radar Simulation and Pulsed Immunity Test
Radar susceptibility testing and MIL-STD pulsed immunity programmes don't test with continuous, sustained RF output — they test with short, high-intensity pulses that reproduce how a real radar or pulsed threat signal actually behaves. This changes what matters in an amplifier: peak power and precise pulse timing, not the continuous power rating that defines a CW amplifier. Bonn Elektronik's pulsed amplifier range is purpose-built around exactly this requirement.
The BPA/BLPA solid-state range covers 300MHz to 10GHz at up to 20kW peak power, serving the bulk of radar susceptibility and pulsed immunity test requirements across this frequency span. For applications needing the highest peak power at microwave frequencies, the TWAP travelling wave tube range extends coverage to 1GHz-18GHz at up to 30kW peak — travelling wave tube technology remaining the practical choice where solid-state designs can't yet match the peak power ceiling needed.
Choosing between the two families comes down to the specific frequency range and peak power level a test programme requires — solid-state BPA/BLPA units for most 300MHz-10GHz pulsed testing, and TWAP tube amplifiers where the requirement genuinely calls for the highest peak power available at microwave frequencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does pulsed RF testing need different amplifiers than continuous-wave (CW) testing?
Pulsed testing (radar simulation, MIL-STD pulsed immunity) applies RF energy in short, high-intensity bursts rather than sustained output, and the amplifier needs to be specified and built for that pulse profile — peak power handling and precise pulse timing — rather than the continuous average power rating that defines a CW amplifier's specification.
When would I choose the TWAP travelling wave tube range over the solid-state BPA/BLPA range?
Where a test requirement needs peak power beyond what the solid-state range's 20kW ceiling provides — up to 30kW in the TWAP range — or specifically needs coverage extending to 18GHz, travelling wave tube technology remains the practical choice for reaching that combination of frequency and peak power.
What test standards typically call for pulsed amplifiers like these?
MIL-STD pulsed immunity test programmes and radar susceptibility testing are the primary applications — scenarios where the device under test needs to demonstrate it continues operating correctly when exposed to short-duration, high-peak-power RF pulses representative of a real radar or pulsed RF threat.
See Bonn Elektronik's technical documentation for the BPA/BLPA pulsed amplifier series →
