Abstract: Heaterless hollow cathode is one of the most important development directions for the onboard hollow cathode for its quick start, simple structure and high reliability. Three different main configurations and their advantages and disadvantages were introduced. The relationship between ignition characteristics and mass flow rate, aperture, electrode distance and power supply, steady state characteristics and discharge current, mass flow rate and emitter material were analyzed. The main failure mechanism and corresponding improvement methods were discussed. The conclusion obtained could provide reference for the design and optimization of the heaterless hollow cathode's configuration and operational parameters.