Implementation
A PFN consists of a series of high voltage energy storage capacitors and inductors. These components are interconnected (as a "ladder network") that behaves similarly to a length of transmission line. For this reason, a PFN is sometimes called an "artificial, or synthetic, transmission line". Electrical energy is initially stored within the charged capacitors of the PFN.
Sometimes an actual length of transmission line is used as the pulse forming network. This can give substantially flat topped pulses at the inconvenience of using of a large length of cable.
A Blumlein transmission line is a particular configuration of transmission lines invented by British engineer Alan Blumlein, used to create high-voltage pulses with short rise and fall times. Its principle is closely related to a pulse-forming transmission line discharge, although a Blumlein's output voltage is the same as the charging voltage whereas the Pulse-forming transmission line outputs half the charging voltage. On August 30, 1944, the executor for Blumlein's estate filed the patent application, and patent 2,465,840 was granted March 29, 1949.
Read more about this topic: Pulse Forming Network