LOW ENERGY (MAGNETRON) AUTOMATIC FREQUENCY CONTROL

Figure 5-21 shows a schematic AFC circuit diagram for a low energy accelerator machine such as the
Clinac 61100, which utilizes a magnetron as the microwave power source. The Vernier mechanical
tuner of the magnetron is sewed to the resonant frequency of the accelerator using the reflected
signal. The pulsed forward microwave power is supplied to the accelerator through port 1 of a three-
port circulator. The reflected power from the accelerator travels back to the circulator via port 2 and
out of the third port (lower) and, hence, via phase shifter to the water load. This variable phase
shifter, often called a "phase wand," is provided for reflecting a small fraction of the reflected power
from the accelerator back through the three-port circulator to the magnetron. This intentionally
introduced reflected signal at a certain phase exerts a "frequency pulling effect" on the magnetron
frequency towards the accelerator resonant frequency. This technique works well only when the
frequency of the magnetron is within the one-half power bandwidth of the accelerator resonance.
However, due to the relatively high Q of the accelerator, the magnetron may have an initial
frequency setting outside the bandwidth of the accelerator, since the mechanically tunable
magnetron frequency range is about 10 MHz, while the accelerator resonant bandwidth is only
about 0.5 MHz. Hence, another mechanism is needed to bring the magnetron frequency close to the
accelerator resonant frequency. In addition to the "frequency pulling effect" noted above, the
microwave phase comparator circuit of Figure 5-21 is utilized to provide an AFC circuit that will track
a relatively wide variation in the accelerator resonant frequency using the magnetron mechanical
tuner. Departure of the source frequency from the accelerator resonant frequency can be sensed by
comparing the phase of the incident power +i to the accelerator with the phase of reflected power 4,
from the accelerator.

A 3dB hybrid coupler is provided for comparing this phase difference. Radio frequency signals from
the two output ports are rectified by crystal detectors, and the resultant differential amplifier
provides the input signals for the servo power amplifier that drives the servomotor until the correct
magnetron frequency is reached.

The frequency discriminating action of the phase comparator circuit, embodied in the 3-dB hybrid
coupler, is shown in Figure 5-21. In the hybrid coupler, the incident power signal Vi, which is applied
to the input port no. 1, is split and supplied to output terminals with equal amplitude but with
90°phase lag at the output port no. 2 with respect to the output port no. 4. Similarly, the reflected
power signal V, applied to the second input terminal no. 3 is split equally and supplied to output
terminals nos. 2 and 4 with a 90" phase lag at the output port no. 4 with respect to the output port
no. 2. The resultant signals at output ports are rectified by crystal detector diodes to produce dc
output voltages that are subtracted from each other and amplified with a differential amplifier.

HIGH ENERGY (KLYSTRON) AUTOMATIC FREQUENCY CONTROL

In high energy accelerators, in which klystron amplifiers are used as there power sources, the AFC
circuit is somewhat different from that in low energy magnetron powered accelerators. Figure 5-22
shows the block diagram of the AFC system used for the Clinac 1800. Here the function of the
oscillator (rf driver) and the amplifier are separated. The frequency of the rf driver can be set
precisely at a desired accelerator resonance, independent of the load condition and the frequency
tuning range can be set in a relatively narrow range, such as 1 MHz. The center frequency of the rf
driver is set nominally at 2856 MHz. The forward and the reflected signals are monitored at the
accelerator guide through a 60-dB bidirectional coupler.
Frequency discrimination can be obtained in a manner similar to that described for the low energy
machine. In this case, the delay line used for the low energy machine is not necessary since the next
nearest resonance will not appear within the rf driver tuning range. Figure 5-23 shows how the
phase and amplitude of reflected signals vary with frequency for the case of the accelerator over
coupled to the input waveguide, where the accelerator resonant frequency is fo. The frequency
discriminating action of the AFC circuit can be described by the vector diagram of Figure 5-24, which
shows the relationship of the klystron frequency f versus rf signals at the hybrid coupler output port
and, hence, the differential amplifier output signal. However, this relationship applies only for the
condition where the transmission path length for the incident wave Vi and the reflected wave V, are
equal. Normally, the path length for the reflected wave V, is greater than the path length for the
incident wave Vi, whereby the frequency discriminating output characteristic for the phase
comparator would be skewed. Accordingly, a long line section of transmission line (often called delay
line) is provided in the path between the forward output port of the 60-dB directional coupler and
the input port of the 3-dB hybrid coupler, as shown in Figure 5-21.