COMPARISON BETWEEN MMIC MATRIX AND DISTRIBUTED-AMPLIFIERS

A comparison between a matrix distributed amplifier and a dual-stage d istributed amplifier in the 2-18 GHz frequency range is presented. Bot h circuits were realised using the same MMIC technology and the same d esign criteria. A relevant result for the two different topologies sho ws equivalent small signal performance. In this example no advantages of the matrix amplifier are noticed over the conventional distributed amplifier. This interesting result encourages a more accurate investig ation of the comparison between matrix and distributed amplifiers, usi ng different technologies and a different number of active devices.