Compact Pulsed Power Sources

Marx generators have been traditionally relegated as pulse-charging supplies for a variety of applications including the generation of High Power Microwaves, or RF energy. Compact models have served as suitable trigger generators for larger systems. However, recent work has demonstrated the compact Marx generators for directly generating RF energy. This paper discusses two compact Marx generators developed for RF applications. General performance characteristics for each generator are discussed, as well as efforts to minimize the temporal jitter of these systems so as to make them viable sources for radar transmitters. The Gatling Marx generator is presented as a multiple generator RF source for weapons and radar transmitters. Finally, the generation of RF and microwave energy is discussed.