SLAAET1 March   2025 ADC08DJ3200 , ADC08DJ5200RF , ADC09DJ1300 , ADC09DJ800 , ADC09QJ1300 , ADC09QJ800 , ADC09SJ1300 , ADC09SJ800 , ADC12DJ1600 , ADC12DJ2700 , ADC12DJ3200 , ADC12DJ4000RF , ADC12DJ5200RF , ADC12DJ800 , ADC12QJ1600 , ADC12QJ800 , ADC12SJ1600 , ADC12SJ800 , ADC32RF52 , ADC32RF54 , ADC32RF55 , ADC32RF72 , ADC34RF52 , ADC34RF55 , ADC34RF72 , ADC3548 , ADC3549 , ADC3568 , ADC3569 , ADC3648 , ADC3649 , ADC3664 , ADC3668 , ADC3669 , ADC3683

 

  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

7 Summary

Both active and passive front ends have pluses and minuses. Before making a choice in haste, please understand the application, which can help determine which front end design path to follow: an amplifier or balun. Once decided between active or passive interface, look at the individual trade-offs related to phase imbalance sensitives, gain, power and input power required to achieve full scale of the ADC. Collecting this information in a spreadsheet can help you quickly determine which device is best for your next +5GHz design.