[[File:Transistors in microstrip.jpg|thumb|Microstripalt=Transistors, capacitors and resistors on a circuit featuringboard|Microstrip discretecircuit with transistors in miniature [[surface-mount technology|surface-mount]] packages, capacitors and resistors in chip form, and [[biasing]] filters as distributed elements]]
DistributedAlthough distributed elements are passive elements, but most applications will require active components in some role. A microwave [[hybrid integrated circuit]] uses distributed elements for many passive components, but active components (such as [[diode]]s and, [[transistor]]s, and some passive components,) are discrete. The active components may be packaged, or they may be placed on the [[Substrate (electronics)|substrate]] in chip form without any individual packaging to reduce their size and eliminate the packaging-induced [[Parasitic element (electrical networks)|parasitics]].<ref>Bhat & Khoul, pp. 9–10, 15.</ref>
[[Distributed amplifier]]s consist of a number of amplifying devices, (usually [[FET]]s), with all their inputs connected via one transmission line, and all their outputs via another transmission line. The lengths of the two lines must be equal between each transistor for the circuit to work correctly., and Eacheach transistor adds to the output of the amplifier. This is different from a conventional [[multistage amplifier]], where the [[Gain (electronics)|gain]] is ''multiplied'' by the gain of each stage. Although Aa distributed amplifier thus has lower gain than a conventional amplifier with the same number of transistors. However, it has significantly greater bandwidth. In a conventional amplifier, the bandwidth is reduced by each additional stage.; Inin a distributed amplifier, the overall bandwidth is the same as the bandwidth of a single stage. Distributed amplifiers are used when a single large transistor, (or a complex, multi-transistor amplifier) would be too large to treat as a lumped component.; Thethe linking transmission lines serve to separate the individual transistors.<ref>Kumar & Grebennikov, 153–154.</ref>
