Patent ID: 8004364

Claim:
A high power, high frequency, solid state power amplifier system, comprising: at least one input multiple port splitter for receiving a high-frequency input and for dividing the input into a plurality of outputs; a plurality of solid state amplifier units, each amplifier unit including a plurality of amplifiers, and each amplifier being individually connected to one of the plurality of outputs of said further multiport splitters, and producing a corresponding amplified output; at least one output multiport combiner for combining the amplified outputs of the amplifiers of each of the amplifier units to produce a combined output; each of said amplifiers comprising a plurality of power amplifier stages and an automatic level control protection circuit for protecting the amplifier and for maintaining a substantially constant amplifier power output; each of said protection circuits receiving a plurality of inputs related to the operational state of the corresponding amplifier and producing a related output; each of said amplifiers comprising a variable power attenuator, connected to one of the plurality of outputs of the at least one multiple port splitter and to the output of the protection circuit, for controlling the high frequency input drive to a first amplifier stage of said plurality of amplifier stages; each of said protection circuits including a directional coupler connected to the output of said amplifier stages for sampling the forward power component and reflected power component of the amplifier power output; first and second separate operational amplifiers used in producing outputs related to the forward power component and the reflected power component, wherein the forward power component is determined by a user controlled forward power setting, and wherein the protection circuit provides that as long as the reflected power component does not exceed a predetermined level, the amplifier power output is limited the forward power setting; and, each of said protection circuit further comprises a current monitor for monitoring DC amplifier current and for reducing the amplifier power output when the DC amplifier current exceeds a predetermined level.