New Publications:

NEW Fast High Voltage Square Wave Pulser for up to 3 MHz continuous switching frequency. With sockets for HV supply, control signal and HV impulse monitor output. Available with DLC liquid cooling only, but can be operated also without cooling circuit at lower frequencies. Models: FSWP 91-01, FSWP 51-02, FSWP 41-03 

NEW Subminiature  MOSFET  Q-Switch  Driver  with  LED indicators.  With frequency and temperature monitoring. Thermo trigger. Highly reliable. Switching behaviour widely independent of temperature - no avalanche technique! Operation from 0V to maximum voltage. Very short recovery time. Rise time 5 to 7 ns. Frequency up to 100 kHz in connection with optional ceramic heatsink. Dimensions 64 x 30 x 18 mm (2.5 x 1.18 x 0.7 inch). Models: FQD 80-02-C, FQD 60-03-C, FQD 50-02-C, FQD 40-03-C

NEW Very fast 150 kV Push-Pull HV Switch with 100 or 200 Ampere peak current in LC2 low capacitance technique. Available with flange or tubular housing. Exchangeable control unit with intelligent circuit for an easy and reliable operation. Monitoring of switch and driver temperature, auxilliary voltage, control frequency and pulse width. TTL compatible control input and inhibit input. Short circuit proof fault output. LED indicators for operation status and pulse indication. Models: HTS 1501-10-GSM,  HTS 1501-20-GSM 

NEW Very fast 65 kV Push-Pull HV Switch with 100 or 200 Ampere peak current in LC2 low capacitance technique. Available with flange or tubular housing. Exchangeable control unit with intelligent circuit for an easy and reliable operation. Monitoring of switch and driver temperature, auxilliary voltage, control frequency and pulse width. TTL compatible control input and inhibit input. Short circuit proof fault output. LED indicators for operation status and pulse indication. Models: HTS 651-10-GSM,  HTS 651-20-GSM

NEW Very fast  Single HV Switches for up to 150 kV with 100 or 200 Ampere pk. current in LC2 low capacitance technique. Available with flange or tubular housing. Exchangeable control unit with intelligent circuit for an easy and reliable operation. Monitoring of switch and driver temperature, auxilliary voltage, control frequency and pulse width. TTL compatible control input and inhibit input. Short circuit proof fault output. LED indicators for operation status and pulse indication.

Models: HTS 1501-20-LC2,  HTS 1501-10-LC2, HTS 1001-20-LC2, HTS 1001-10-LC2 

NEW Bipolar AC-Push-Pull HV Switches for TOF and similar applications. For positive and negative voltages without changing switch polarity. Voltages from +/- 3 to  +/- 30 kV. Peak currents from 15 to 260 Amperes. Rise and fall time less than 10 ns. Model Example: HTS 151-03-AC-GSM 

NEW HTS compact series. Miniaturized MOSFET HV switching modules 79 x 38 x 17 mm (LxWxH) as single, push-pull and AC switches for voltages from 3 to 12 kV. Up to 24 kV on request. Peak currents from 15 to 260 Amperes (depending on voltage). On-resistance down to 0.2 Ohm (depending on model). Rise and fall time from 5 to 10 ns (depending on model). Pulse width 40 ns to infinity. Intelligent control circuit with advanced EMC filters for an easy and reliable operation. Monitoring of switch and driver temperature, auxilliary voltage, control frequency and pulse width. TTL compatible control and inhibit input. Fault output. LED indicators for pulse and status indication. For compact scientific instruments and reed relay replacement. Model Examples: HTS 41-26-C, HTS 121-01-C, HTS 61-01-AC-C, HTS 61-01-GSM-C

Behlke has developed a new control and driver unit for all HTS single, push-pull, AC and AC-push-pull HV switches. The control circuit is an important integral part of any solid-state switch and determines essentially the switching behaviour, the noise immunity and the long-term reliability of the switching module. The new control unit VC4 is a key component of the successful switch series HTS and reflects over 25 years experience in developing high voltage solid-state switches. Due to the extremely harsh electromagnetic environment caused by the high di/dt and dv/dt of the close load circuit, the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of the control circuit is of vital importance for the reliable function of the whole switching module. There is always an electromagnetic coupling between the induction loop areas of the high-voltage circuits and the control circuits. These induction loop areas cannot be avoided, but they can be minimized by a careful circuit design.

The 5 volt auxiliary voltage input accepts now 4.5 to 5.5 V supply voltage. Short-time over voltage of up to 100% as well as massive positive and negative transients are widely uncritical. The auxiliary power consumption has been reduced by about 30 to 60%. The new VC4 has four temperature sensors and several under- and over-voltage detectors. A very fast inhibit input (TTL) allows the connection of an external over current sensor or spark-over sensor for an active switch protection. In case of a logical “L” at the inhibit input, the switch will be turned-off within 50 to 250 ns (depending on the switch model) and will be locked for at least two seconds or as long as the disturbance lasts. The new VC4 has also a fault signal output, which indicates over-temperature, false auxiliary supply and input over frequency. The operation status and the control pulses will be indicated by LED’s. Even nanoseconds control pulses are made visible. A high sophisticated control pulse treatment ensures always the correct control of the high-voltage semiconductor stack under all circumstances, even under worst case EMC conditions. High currents can be switched on and off safely, even if the control pulse is unsufficient (e.g. too short, too slow or too low) or if it is disturbed by EMI due to sub optimal application circuits.  

The VC4 is designed to be utilized in all switch models with variable on-time. This standardization allows a mass production with all the well known benefits including a professional quality control. Whatever your order quantity is, even if you order just the prototype of a customized switch, you will always have a control and driver circuit of the highest technical standards. The VC4 can drive up to 1000 big power MOSFET, IGBT or MCT with a Ciss of 10 nF and a Qg of 300 nC each ( ! ), but it can be used also for our smallest switching modules with only a few low capacitance MOSFET. Single switches and push-pull switches with low capacitance FET’s can be driven even at a repetition rate of up to 3 MHz (driver cooling option C-DR required). In the smaller switching modules, the VC4 is directly adapted to the HV switch mother board. In bigger switches with higher built volume (e.g. switches above 30 kV) the VC4 will be inserted as a removable unit for the purpose of possible up-dates.

Right: A batch of VC4 mini boards fresh from our SMD production line. The batch will be separated by a special pneumatic parallel cutting machine to exclude any SMD damage by torsion force. Below left and middle: The separated mini boards, partly completed with classical wired components. The completed control unit consists of 69 active part components (hereof 17 IC's) and 152 passive part components. Below right: The VC4 as a removable unit 38 x 38 x 16 mm (1.5 x 1.5 x 0.63"). The housing is shielded inside.