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  1.   1
  2.   Abstract
  3.   Trademarks
  4. 1Introduction
  5. 2Active (Amplifier) vs. Passive (Transformer/Balun) Tradeoffs
  6. 3Amplifiers vs. Baluns: The Advantages
  7. 4Amplifiers vs. Baluns: The Disadvantages
  8. 5Understanding the Importance of Phase Imbalance
  9. 6Phase Balance with Amplifiers and Baluns
  10. 7Summary
  11. 8References
  12.   A Appendix A

2 Active (Amplifier) vs. Passive (Transformer/Balun) Tradeoffs

Amplifiers are active, provide gain, have inherent noise, need a power supply and decoupling, and consume power. A balun, however, does not add noise nor consume power. These are just fundamental differences; this is too early to decide which is best to choose just yet. What is important, is understanding the trade-offs set by the application (Figure 2-1).

RF Converter Front-End Choices: Amplifiers = Active vs. Baluns = PassiveFigure 2-1 RF Converter Front-End Choices: Amplifiers = Active vs. Baluns = Passive