RF System Formulas

Iulian Rosu, YO3DAC / VA3IUL, http://www.qsl.net/va3iul/

Noise_Floor[dBm] = – 174 + 10*LOG (BW[Hz]) + Noise_Figure[dB] + Gain[dB]

Minimum_Detectable_Signal[dBm] = [–174 + 3dB] + 10*LOG(BW[Hz]) + Noise_Figure[dB]

Spurious_Free_Dynamic_Range[dB] ord 2 = (1/2) * [174 + IIP2[dBm] – Noise_Figure[dB] – 10*LOG(BW[Hz])]

Spurious_Free_Dynamic_Range[dB] ord 3 = (2/3) * [174 + IIP3[dBm] – Noise_Figure(dB) – 10*LOG(BW[Hz])]

Noise_Figure[dB] = 174 + RX_Sensitivity[dBm] – 10*LOG(BW[Hz]) – Signal/Noise[dB]

RX_Sensitivity[dBm] = –174 + 10*LOG(BW[Hz]) + Noise_Figure[dB] + Signal/Noise[dB]

Signal/Noise[dB] = 174 + RX_Sensitivity[dBm] – 10*LOG(BW[Hz]) – Noise_Figure[dB]

RX_Dynamic_Range[dB] = RX_Sensitivity[dBm] – P1dB[dBm]

Blocking_Dynamic_Range[dB] = P1dB[dBm] - Noise_Floor[dBm] - Signal/Noise[dB]

Co-channel_rejection[dB] = Co-channel_interferer[dBm] - RX_Sensitivity[dBm]

RX_selectivity[dB] = - Co-ch_rejection[dB] – 10*LOG[10(-IF_filter_rej[dB]/10) +10(-LO_spur[dBc]/10) +IF_BW[Hz] * 10(SB_Noise[dBc/Hz]/10)]

Image_frequency[MHz] = RF_frequency[MHz] ± 2*IF_frequency[MHz]

Half_IF[MHz] = RF_frequency[MHz] ± IF_frequency[MHz] / 2

Half_IF[dBm] = [OIP2[dBm] – RX_Sensitivity[dBm] – Co-channel_rejection[dB] ] / 2

IM_rejection[dB] = [2*IIP3[dBm] – 2* RX_Sensitivity[dBm] – Co-Channel_rejection[dB] ] / 3

IIP3[dBm] = Interferer_level[dBm] + [Interferer_level[dBm] – RX_level[dBm] + Signal/Noise[dB] ] / 2

OIP3[dBm] = Pout[dBm] + [IM3[dBc] / 2] = Pout[dBm] + [Pout[dBm] – IM3[dBm]] / 2

IM3[dBm] = 3* Pout[dBm] – 2*OIP3[dBm]

IM3out unequal_input_levels(left_side)[dBm] = Pout_Left[dBm] – 2*[OIP3[dBm] – Pout_Right[dBm]]

OIP2[dBm] = Pout[dBm] + IM2[dBc] = 2 * Pout[dBm] – IM2[dBm]

IM2[dBm] = 2 * Pout[dBm] - OIP2[dBm]

IIP2(cascaded_stages)[dBm] = IIP2last stage[dBm] – Gaintotal[dB] + Selectivity @ 1/2 IF[dB]

IIP2(Direct_Conversion_Receiver)[dBm] ≥ 2*AM_Interferer[dBm] – Noise_Floor[dBm]

Full_Duplex_Noise@RX_inp[dBm] = –174 – TX_Noise@RX_band[dBm/Hz] – Duplexer_rejection[dB]

Crest_Factor[dB] = 10*LOG[Peak_Power(w) / Average_Power[w]] = Peak_Power[dBm] – Average_Power[dBm]

MultiCarrier_Peak_to_Average_Ratio[dB] = 10*LOG(Number_of_Carriers)

MultiCarrier_Total_Power[dBm] = 10*LOG(Number_of_Carriers) + Carrier_Power[dBm]

Processing_Gain[dB] = 10*LOG[BW[Hz] / Data_Rate[Hz]]

Eb/No[dB] = S/N[dB] + 10*LOG[BW[Hz] / Data_Rate[Hz]]

RX_Input_Noise_Power_max[dBm] = Sensitivity[dBm] + Processing_Gain[dB] - Eb/No[dB]

Carrier_Noise_Ratio[dB] = 10*LOG[Eb/No] + 10*LOG[Bit_Rate[bps] / BW[Hz]]

Bandwidth_Efficiency[bps/Hz] = Bit_Rate[bps] / BW[Hz]

Integer_PLL_freq_out[MHz] = [N (VCO_divider) / R (Ref_divider)] * Reference_frequency[MHz]

Required_LO_PhaseNoise[dBc/Hz] = RX_level[dBm] – Blocking_level[dBm] – Signal/Noise[dB] – 10*LOG(BW[Hz])

PLL_PhaseNoise[dBc/Hz] = 1Hz_Normalized_PhaiseNoise[dBc/Hz] + 10*LOG(Comparison Frequency[Hz]) + 20*LOG(N)

PLL_Lock_Time[usec] = [400 / Loop_BW[kHz]] * [1-10*LOG(Frequency_tolerance[Hz] / Frequency_jump[Hz])]

PLL_Switching_Time[usec] = 50 / F_comparison[MHz] = 2.5 / Loop_Bandwidth[MHz]

PhaseNoise_on_SpectrumAnalyzer[dBc/Hz] = Carrier_Power[dBm] – Noise_Power@Freq_offset[dBm] – 10*LOG(RBW[Hz])

PLL_Phase_ErrorRMS [] = 107 * 10(PhaseNoise[dBc/Hz] / 20) * Loop_BW[Hz ]

PLL_Jitter[seconds] = PLL_Phase_ErrorRMS [] / (360*Frequency[Hz])

EVMRMS [%] = 1.74 * PLL_Phase_ErrorRMS []

TX_PhaseNoise_limit[dBc/Hz] = Power_limit@Offset_from_carrier[dBc] + 10*LOG(BW[Hz])

ACLR[dBc] = 20.75 + 1.6*Crest_Factor[dB] + 2*[Input_Power[dBm] – PA_IIP3[dBm] sine]

EVM[%] = [10(-Signal/Noise[dB] / 20)]*100  EVM[dB] = 20*LOG(EVM[%] / 100)

Signal/Noise[dB] = 20*LOG(EVM[%] / 100)

Corrected_EVM[%] = Re sidual _ EVM [%] * Measured _ EVM [%]

ADC_SNR[dB] = (Nr_of_Bits*6.02) + 1.76 + 10*LOG(Sampling_Frequency[Hz] / 2*BW[Hz])

ADC_Nyquist_frequency[Hz] = Sampling_Frequency[Hz] / 2

ADC_NoiseFigure[dB] = Full_Scale_Pin[dBm] – SNR[dB] – 10*LOG(FS_sampling_rate / 2 ) – Thermal_Noise[dBm/Hz]

ADC_NoiseFloor[dBFS] = SNR[dB] + 10*LOG(FS_sampling_rate / 2)

ADC_Spurious_Free_Dynamic_Range[dB] = Desired_Input_Signal[0dB] – Highest_Amplitude_Spurious[dB]

ADC_Input_Dynamic_Range[dB] = 20*LOG(2Nr_of_Bits -1)

VSWR = (1+Γ) / (1– Γ) = (Vinc + Vref) / (Vinc – Vref) = (ZL – Zo) / (ZL + Zo)

Reflection_Coefficient Γ = (VSWR – 1) / (VSWR + 1) = Vref / Vinc

Return_Loss [dB] = - 20*LOG(Γ)

Missmatch_Loss[dB] = - 10*LOG [1 – Γ 2]
Reflected_Power[W] = Incident_Power[W] * Γ 2
Power_Absorbed_by_the_Load[W] = 4 * Incident_Power[W] * [VSWR/(1+VSWR2)]
Characteristic_Impedance Zo = L / C
Resonant_Frequency[Hz] = 1 / [2** L * C ]
L = Xs /  ; C = 1 / (*Xp) ;  =   L * C ; Q (series LC) = Xs / Rs ; Q (parallel LC) = Rp / Xp

Free_Space_Path_Loss[dB] = 27.6 – 20*LOG[Frequency[MHz]] – 20*LOG[Distance[m]]

RX_inp_level[dBm] = TX_Power[dBm] + TX_Ant_Gain[dB] – Free_Space_Path_Loss[dB] – Cable_loss[dB]+ Rx_Ant_Gain[dB]

Antenna_Polarization_Mismatch_Loss[dB] = 20*LOG(cos φ) [for linear polarized antennas]

30
Antenna_Factor[dB] = 20*LOG[(12.56 / λ[m]) * ]
R _ load[ohms] *10^ ( Antenna_ Gain[dBi] / 10)
EIRP[W] = Power[W] * 10(Antenna_Factor[dB] / 10)

Antenna_Near_Field[m] = 2 * Antenna_Dimension2[m] / λ[m]

Te = (Noise Factor[lin] – 1) * To [290K]

ENR(Excess_Noise_Ratio) = 10*LOG [(TENR – To [290K]) / To [290K] ]

Noise_Figure_Test(Y_Factor_Method)[dB] = 10*LOG[(10(ENR/10))/(10(Y/10))] ; Y = NFout - NFinp

RMS Noise Voltage across a Resistor (V) = [4 * R[ohms] * k[Boltzman ] * Temp[K] * BW[Hz]]
IP3 (all linear) – Cascaded Stages Noise Factor (all linear) - Cascaded Stages

Noise_Figure[dB] = 10*LOG(F)
Noise Factor (all linear) – Identical Cascaded Stages

Noise Temperature – Cascaded Stages

T(1,2,3…n) = (Noise Factor[lin] – 1) * To [290K]

NF[dB] = 10*LOG (1 + Teq / To [290K])

V max[Vpp] − V min[Vpp] Power _ sideband(usb _ lsb)[W ]

AM_Modulation_Index = =2*
V max[Vpp] + V min[Vpp] Power _ carrier[W ]

AM_Total_Power[W] = Power_carrier[W] * [(1+AM_Modulation_Index2) / 2]

AM_Bandwidth[Hz] = 2 * Highest_Modulation_Frequency[Hz]

FM_Modulation_Index = Max_Frequency_Deviation[Hz] / Max_Modulation_Frequency[Hz]

FM_Bandwidth[Hz] = 2 * Max_Modulation_Frequency[Hz] * [1+ FM_Modulation_Index]

Term Conversion in 50 Ω Environment
Term Conversion/Ohms Law