31

Table 2.2 dB V 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 (continued) Voltage 200 225 250 280 315 355 400 450 500 565 630 710 800 900 1 kV dBV 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 dBm 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 dBW 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 Power 800 1 kW 1.25 1.6 2.0 2.5 3.15 4.0 5.0 6.3 8.0 10 12.5 16 20

Decibel glossary
stands for dB adjusted. This is a weighted circuit noise power referred to 85 dBm, which is 0 dBa. (Historically measured with a noise meter at the receiving end of a line. The meter is calibrated on a 1000 Hz tone such that 1 mW (0 dBm) gives a reading of +85 dBm. If the 1 mW is spread over the band 3003400 Hz as random white noise, the meter will read +82 dBa.) dBa0 circuit noise power in dBa referred to, or measured at, a point of zero relative transmission level (0 dBr). (A point of zero relative transmission level is a point arbitrarily established in a transmission circuit. All other levels are stated relative to this point.) It is preferable to convert circuit noise measurement values from dBa to dBa0 as this makes it unnecessary to know or to state the relative transmission level at the point of measurement. dBd used for expressing the gain of an antenna referred to a dipole. dBi used for expressing the gain of an antenna referred to an isotropic radiator. dB V decibels relative to 1 microvolt. dbm decibels relative to 1 milliwatt. The term dBm was originally used for telephone and audio work and, when used in that context, implies an impedance of 600 , the nominal impedance of a telephone line. When it is desired to dene a relative transmission level in a circuit, dBr is preferred. dBa

32
Table 2.3 Binary decibel values Bits 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Max. value 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 256 512 1024 2048 4096 8192 16 384 32 768 65 536 131 072 262 144 524 288 1 048 576 2 097 152 4 194 304 8 388 608 16 777 216 33 554 432 67 108 864 134 217 728 268 435 456 536 870 912 1 073 741 824 2 147 483 648 4 294 967 296 Decibels (dB) 6.02 12.04 18.06 24.08 30.10 36.12 42.14 48.16 54.19 60.21 66.23 72.25 78.27 84.29 90.31 96.33 102.35 108.37 114.39 120.41 126.43 132.45 138.47 144.49 150.51 156.54 162.56 168.58 174.60 180.62 186.64 192.66

dBm0

dBm referred to, or measured at, a point of zero transmission level. dBmp a unit of noise power in dBm, measured with psophometric weighting. dBmp = 10 log10 pWp 90 = dBa 84 = dBm 2.5 (for at noise 3003400 Hz). pWp = picowatts psophometrically weighted. dBm0p the abbreviation for absolute noise power in dBm referred to or measured at a point of zero relative transmission level, psophometrically weighted. dBr means dB relative level. Used to dene transmission level at various points in a circuit or system referenced to the zero transmission level point.

33 a weighted circuit noise power unit in dB referenced to 1 pW (90 dBm) which is 0 dBrn. dBrnc weighted noise power in dBrn, measured by a noise measuring set with C-message weighting. dBrnc0 noise measured in dBrnc referred to zero transmission level point. dBu decibels relative to 0.775 V, the voltage developed by 1 mW when applied to 600 . dBu is used in audio work when the impedance is not 600 and no specic impedance is implied. dbV decibels relative to 1 volt. dbW decibels relative to 1 watt. Note: To convert dBm to dB V add 107 (e.g. 20 dBm = 20 + 107 = 87 dB V. The beauty of decibel notation is that system gains and losses can be computed using addition and subtraction rather than multiplication and division. For example, suppose a system consists of an antenna that delivers a 4.7 dBm signal at its terminals (we conveniently neglect the antenna gain by this ploy). The antenna is connected to a 40 dB low-noise amplier (A1) at the head end, and then through a 370 metre long coaxial cable to a 20 dB gain amplier (A2), with a loss (L1) of 48 dB. The amplier is followed by a bandpass lter with a 2.8 dB insertion loss (L2), and a 10 dB attenuator (L3). How does the signal exist at the end of this cascade chain? S1 A1 A2 L1 L2 L3 Total: 4.7 dBm 40.0 dB 20.0 dB 48.0 dB 2.8 dB 10.0 dB 5.5 dBm dBrn

Converting dBm to watts

P = 10dBm/10 1000

Converting any dB to ratio

Power levels: P1 = 10dB/10 P2

34 Voltage levels: Current levels: V1 = 10dB/20 V2 I1 = 10dB/20 I2

Binary decibel values

Binary numbers are used in computer systems. With the digitization of RF systems it is necessary to understand the decibel values of binary numbers. These binary numbers might be from an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC or A/D) that digitizes the IF amplier output, or a digital-to-analogue converter (DAC or D/A) used to generate the analogue signal in a direct digital synthesis (DDS) signal generator.

343
Satellite television formats, 248 Satellite television, 248 SAW lter, 105 SCART (BS-6552), 258 Scatter propagation modes, 19, 23 Scatter, 19 Scrambling, 168 Selective calling, 185 Sensitivity, 156 Series resonant (crystal), 87 Series resonant circuits, 79 Shape factor, 104 Side scatter, 19 Sideband, 113, 118 Signalling channel, 1767, 194 Signal-to-noise ratio, 1526 Simplex, 183 SINAD, 230 Single sideband AM wave, 114 Single sideband suppressed carrier, 114, 1157 Skip distance, 16 Sky wave propagation, 15 Slot antenna, 64 Small loop antenna patterns, 75 Small loop antenna, 72 Small loop geometry, 74 Sound velocity, 327 Source impedance, 104 Space (digital signal), 111 Space wave propagation, 16 Space wave, 16 Specication of quartz crystals, 101 Spectrum, 2, 233 Speech encryption, 168 Speed of light, 327 Sporadic E-layer reections, 16 Spread spectrum transmission, 129 Spread spectrum, 172 Spreading code, 177 Spurious attenuation, 104 Spurious response attenuation, 156 Spurious responses, 100 Squelch, 197 Stability, 98 Stacking antennas, 65 Standard frequency formats, 283 Standard frequency transmissions, 281 Standard test tone, 165 Standard time transmissions, 281 Standard units, 325 Stereo radio modulation scheme, 121 Stopband performance, 104 Stopband, 103 Stream encryption, 169 Sub-audio signalling, 194 Sub-refraction, 21 Super refraction, 20 Switching bandwidth, 156 Symbols, 313 Synchronisation, 1767, 180 Synchronous encryption, 171

T1 multiplex, 176 Television channels (USA), 299 Television connectors, 257 Temperature coefcient, 86, 98 Temperature compensation, 86 Temperature range, 102 Tesla, 327 Thermal noise, 11 Time constant, 333 Time division multiplex (TDM), 174 Total line loss, 47 Transducer, 108 Trans-European Trunked Radio (TETRA), 208 Transformer ratios, 333 Transition band, 104 Transmission line considerations, 47 Transmission line lters, 44 Transmission line noise, 49 Transmission lines, 35 Transmission quality, 164 Transmitter specications, 147 Transmitter, FM, 146 Transmitters, angle modulated, 145 Transmitters, phase modulated, 147 Transmitters143 Transverse electric, 46 Transverse electromagnetic wave, 46 Transverse magnetic, 47 Trickle charge current, 242 Trickle charging, 242 Tropospheric scatter, 18 Trunked radio, 202, 207 Trunking, 201 Tuned radio frequency (TRF), 148 Tuned resonant circuits, 79 TV channels (Australia), 292

344
TV channels (New Zealand), 292 TV channels (Republic of Ireland), 291 TV channels (South Africa), 292 TV channels (UK), 291 TV channels (USA), 293 Voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), 42, 55, 221 Volt-ampere, 327

UHF, 2, 61, 67, 138, 183 UK, 625-line TV system, 289 UK broadcasting band, 284 Unipole antenna, 61 Unweighted transducer, 109 Upper sideband, 113

Watt, 327 Wattage rating, 333 Wave-guide, 45 Wavelength of tuned circuit, 334 Wavelength, 1, 107, 329 Weber, 327 Wide-area coverage, 187 World Administrative Radio Conference, 132

Varicap diode, 89 Velocity of sound, 329 Vertical (H) plane, 4 Very low frequency, 2 VHF, 2, 18, 61, 68, 138, 183 Video recorder connectors, 257 Virtual height, 16 VLF, 2, 135 Volt, 327 Voltage controlled oscillators (VCO), 89

X-cut crystal, 95

Yagi array, 62, 69, 294 Y-cut crystal, 95

Z-cut crystal, 95 Zero transmission reference point, 165 Zero-IF receiver, 151 Zulu time, 303