Patent ID: 8395284

Claim:
A high-power switching module for directly feeding pulse energy to a load, comprising: a plurality of series-connected switching stages, each switching stage comprising: a semiconductor switch having an anode, a cathode, and a control terminal; a snubber capacitor and a synchronizing resistor connected in parallel with the anode and cathode of the semiconductor switch; and a control network configured to act on the semiconductor switch and to be supplied with auxiliary power and switching pulses from a pulse driver so as to influence a switching of the semiconductor switch, the control network including at least one control resistor, a control diode polarized in a conducting direction of the switching pulses, an auxiliary diode polarized in a non-conducting direction of the switching pulses, an auxiliary capacitor configured to decouple and store the auxiliary power so as to maintain an offset voltage at the semiconductor switch, and an adjustable time-delay element series connected to the control diode and connected in parallel with the control resistor, the adjustable time-delay element being configured to variably set the offset voltage for the semiconductor switch that determines the switching of the semiconductor switch.