Cascade amps for increased subsystem gain

Selecting cascadable TO-8 amplifiers integrated onto microstrip circuit boards is considered from the point of view of cascaded circuit design techniques and performance characteristics. Cascaded assemblies and circuit boards used in cascaded-amplifier applications are presented. It is noted that TO-8 package constrains allow as many as three transistor stages per housing, utilizing either passive or active biasing with choke decoupling; these configurations can achieve broadband performance with small-signal gain of 15 to 20 dB. Where higher gain levels are required, TO-8 amplifiers can be cascaded as gain blocks and assembled into aluminum housing with connectors. Increased reflection losses resulting in a higher voltage standing wave ratio are analyzed, along with noise minimization techniques. A model showing how to find a TO-8 amplifier's noise figure, input power, and third-order intercept point is described.