A cascode can behave like a Colpitts oscillator.

The oscillation frequency can be very

high (hundreds of MHz), which makes this not so easy to spot unless you have the
right equipment. I reckon that this is one reason why some posters claim that they
don't like the sound of cascodes, not knowing that the circuit that they have built
may possibly have been oscillating.

A stopper resistor is a good counter-measure, and in general, having too-low

impedance on the base is risky practice. This can be a mine waiting to ambush the
unwary, particularly if you are using a capacitor to shunt out the noise of a cascode
bias reference. Sometimes you can get away with this, sometimes not. If you
encounter problems, heavier load impedance on the output of the cascode can
sometimes be of help.

I would like to point out that this is absolutely an issue of physical construction (PCB
layout) as well as the schematic. The type of schematic that can be used without
problem, and the types of oscillation countermeasures and phase compensation that
are needed, can be different according to the individual builder due to the differences
in structural practice and technique.

As I have mentioned on numerous occasions in the past, the schematic is only a

rough guide to the circuit, the real circuit is what is on the circuit board, including
lead inductances and various parasitics. To look at the schematic only is a recipe for
potential trouble (or over-compensation).

It is important to be able to recognize when and how an innocent-looking circuit

fragment can easily metamorph into a potential trouble-maker, given the non-
obvious electrical elements which can be added by the physical structure of the
circuit, or things like environmental RF.

My philosophy is that the schematic and physical layout should be designed together
- the schematic should be designed and modified in consideration of the physical
layout, and the physical layout should be designed and modified in consideration of
the schematic.

BeH