The complication with using a tunnel diode as an amplifier is that it's a one port device! The input is also the output. By using circulators it can be made to work. It was an inexpensive alternative to Masers and Parametric amplifiers, until transistors caught up.
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-----Original Message-----
From: w0eom <w0eom@...>
To: hp_agilent_equipment <hp_agilent_equipment@...>
Sent: Tue, Sep 6, 2011 10:33 am
Subject: Re: [hp_agilent_equipment] Re: Tunnel Diode Questions
I have two tunnel diode microwave amps here, saved from many years ago.
The first time i tested them, i put in 0 dbm and got little gain. that
was way too much drive for the amp.
Will
In a message dated 9/6/2011 9:18:01 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
stuartl73@... writes:
Very few tunnel diodes were used as microwave amplifiers. Usually they were
used to provide a trigger pulse for an oscilloscope or very fast pulse for
TDR or sampling scopes. If you need triggering, consider the way HP used
ECL integrated circuits in their 275 MHz analog oscilloscopes, where
Tektronix used tunnel diodes. In my opinion, having owned both, the HP scope
trigger was superior.
Stuart K6YAZ
Los Angeles, CA
-----Original Message-----
From: br4av01 <_br4av01@... (mailto:br4av01@...) >
To: hp_agilent_equipment <_hp_agilent_equipment@...
(mailto:hp_agilent_equipment@...) >
Sent: Tue, Sep 6, 2011 7:58 am
Subject: [hp_agilent_equipment] Re: Tunnel Diode Questions
Thanks, Gents,
That clarifies the issue for me. Early transistors were mostly low
frequency as I remember. If I am confronted with one of those tunnel diode
circuits, I will consider using fast op-amps or RF transistors in the circuit.
-br4
K7PHX
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