Very High Frequency Power Switching: A Road Map To Envelope Tracking

RF (Radio Frequency) GaN transistors may be used for power switching at frequencies of 30 MHz and above, thereby reaching voltage control bandwidth of critical interest for the so-called ET (Envelope Tracking) technique. ET is meant at optimising the efficiency of RF amplifiers by supplying them with a voltage adapted to their power level at any time, and is the subject of many R&D works worldwide. The present paper provides an overview on the different activities run at the European Space Agency so far in this context, and present the possible way-forward to embark ET on future spacecraft

Very High Frequency Power Switching: A Road Map To Envelope Tracking

RF (Radio Frequency) GaN transistors may be used for power switching at frequencies of 30 MHz and above, thereby reaching voltage control bandwidth of critical interest for the so-called ET (Envelope Tracking) technique. ET is meant at optimising the efficiency of RF amplifiers by supplying them with a voltage adapted to their power level at any time, and is the subject of many R&D works worldwide. The present paper provides an overview on the different activities run at the European Space Agency so far in this context, and present the possible way-forward to embark ET on future spacecraft

Very High Frequency Power Switching: A Road Map To Envelope Tracking

RF (Radio Frequency) GaN transistors may be used for power switching at frequencies of 30 MHz and above, thereby reaching voltage control bandwidth of critical interest for the so-called ET (Envelope Tracking) technique. ET is meant at optimising the efficiency of RF amplifiers by supplying them with a voltage adapted to their power level at any time, and is the subject of many R&D works worldwide. The present paper provides an overview on the different activities run at the European Space Agency so far in this context, and present the possible way-forward to embark ET on future spacecraft

Fast tracking envelope of the RF power amplifier

Having an envelope tracking radio frequency power amplifier, comprising: a RF power amplifying means for amplifying the RF signal; and a switching DC / DC converter, comprising a switching means and a rectifying means, amplifying means for providing power to said RF and the envelope is proportional to the voltage level of DC power RF signal; wherein said switching means is an RF power transistor; wherein said rectifying means, and preferably also the power of said RF amplifying means is connected in two end of the process the same transistor device. Preferably, the process is the same as the RF transistor power amplifying means. May also provide a low pass filter for reducing the bandwidth of the envelope signal, the driving DC / DC converter of the PWM signal depends on the bandwidth

Radio-frequency power amplifier with fast envelope tracking

A radio-frequency power amplifier with envelope tracking, comprising: a power RF amplifying device for amplifying a RF signal; and a switching DC/DC converter, comprising a switching device and a rectifying device, for providing said power RF amplifying device with a DC power supply at a voltage level proportional to an envelope of said RF signal; wherein said switching device is a RF power transistor; characterized in that said rectifying device, and preferably also said power RF amplifying device, is also a transistor of a same technology, connected as a two-terminal device. Preferably, said power RF amplifying device is also a transistor of said same technology. A low-pass filter can also be provided for reducing the bandwidth of the envelope signal on which the PWM signal driving the DC/DC converter depends

The Peregrine Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS) Investigation Development and Preflight Planning

The Peregrine Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS) is a mass spectrometer instrument that operated during the Astrobotic Peregrine Mission-1 as part of the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. This paper describes the instrument and investigation design, development, and planning conducted by the PITMS team, consisting of a successful partnership between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), The Open University, NASA, and ESA. PITMS was designed to measure the abundance and temporal variability of volatile species in the near-surface lunar exosphere from a landed platform on the lunar surface. The PITMS instrument consisted of a European Space Agency–provided Exospheric Mass Spectrometer (including sensor, electronics, controller, and power supply boards) and a GSFC wrapper that provided structural elements, thermal control, and a deployable dust cover. PITMS was designed to operate as a passive sampler, where ambient gases would enter PITMS through an aperture, diffuse around the mass analyzer cavity, become ionized by electron impact and trapped in an RF field, and then sequentially be released to a detector to build a mass spectrum. PITMS was capable of measuring species with a mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) from 10 to 150 Da, with a mass resolution of approximately 0.5 amu. The PITMS science investigation was planned to be operated by GSFC with an international team of scientists. Though the mission did not achieve its lunar landing, information about the PITMS instrument and planning is provided to be able to understand and effectively use data that will be forthcoming from the investigation