RF System (Link Budget) Calculations

System Variables
Frequency
Speed of Light
Wavelength

Block
PA Power

Variable Units Equation

f0
MHz
c

m/s
m = c/f0

Variable Units Equation

PPA
dBm

TX source

LMatchT
PTX

dBm

TX connector loss

LConT1

dB

(from Connector Loss sheet)

TX cable loss

LCabT

dB

(from Cable Loss sheet)

TX connector loss (remote antenna)

LConT2

dB

(from Connector Loss sheet)

TX power

PT

dBm

PT = PTX(C&C Loss)

TX antenna gain

GT

dBi

EIRP

dBm
m

Channel Medium Loss Factor

d
L0

dB

(from Medium Loss sheet)

Free Space Loss

LFS

dB

LFS = (/4d)2

PChanFS

dB

PChanFS = LFSL0 EIRP

Flat Earth Loss (Includes Ground Bounce)

LFE

dB

(from Ground Multipath sheet)

Multipath Loss

LMP

dB

LObs-Total
PChanFE

dB

GR

dBi

RX connector loss

LConR1

dB

RX cable loss

LCabR

dB

RX connector loss (remote antenna)

LConR2

dB

RX power, Free Space Path

PRFS

dBm

PRFS = PChanFS GR(C&C Loss)

RX power, Flat Earth Path

PRFE

dBm

PRFE = PChanFE GR(C&C Loss)

TX Match Loss

Effective (Isotropic) Radiated Power

Distance

Power at RX Antenna, Free Space Path

Obstruction Loss
Power at RX Antenna, Flat Earth Path
RX antenna gain

Receiver Sensitivity Calculations

RX Noise Figure
Operating Temperature
Effective Noise Temperature
Boltzmann's constant

dB

dB

Variable Units
NF
dB
T0
K
Te
k

K
J/K

EIRP = PT GT

PChanFE = LFEL0LMPLObs EIRP

Equation

Te = T0(NF - 1)

BWRX

MHz

Antenna Temperature

TAnt

Noise Power (at RX)

Pn

dBm

Pn = k (TAnt + Te)BWRX

Signal to Noise Ratio

SNRRX

dB

SNRRX = PRX/Pn

Receive Bandwidth

Value
315
299792458
0.951722089

Value
10
10
-0.57

9.43
-15
-5.57
175
0
-67.27475527
-72.84475527
-92.73416576
0
-98.30416576
-15
-0.57

-88.41475527
-113.8741658

-114
Sensitivity of Rx

Value
7
290
1163.442978
1.38E-23

0.012
300
-126.1556386
12.15563863

Link Plot
Device Sensitivity

TX
TX Ant
RX Ant
RX

-114

Signal Path Sensitivity

10
-114
-5.57
-114
-98.30417
-114
-113.8742
-114

20
0
TX

TX Ant

RX Ant

-20
-40
-60
-80
-100
-120
-140
Maxim TX
MAX1472

MAX1479

MAX7030
MAX7031
MAX7032
MAX7044

MAX7049
MAX7057
MAX7058
MAX7060

Supply (V) PA Output

2.1
6
2.7
10.3
3.6
13.7
2.1
5.3
2.7
10
3.6
12.2
2.1
6.7
3.6
13.1
2.1
6.7
3.6
13.1
2.1
6.7
3.6
13.1
2.1
9
2.7
12.5
3.6
15.8
2.1
15
3.6
15
2.1
5.2
3.6
12.6
2.1
5.9
3.6
13.3
2.1
14.5
3.6
14.5

Maxim RX
MAX1470
MAX1471

MAX1473
MAX7030
MAX7031
MAX7032

MAX7033
MAX7034
MAX7036
MAX7042

All numbers are based on Datasheet conditions

All numbers are based on Datasheet condition

RX Ant

RX

Frequency (MHz)
Modulation Sensitivity (dBm)
315 ASK
-109
433.92 ASK
-104
315 ASK
-114
315 FSK
-108
433.92 ASK
-114
433.92 FSK
-108
315 ASK
-114
433.92 ASK
315 ASK
-114
433.92 ASK
-113
315 FSK
-110
433.92 FSK
-107
315 ASK
-114
433.92 ASK
-113
315 FSK
-110
433.92 FSK
-107
315 ASK
-114
433.92 ASK
315 ASK
-114
433.92 ASK
-113
315 ASK
-109
433.92 ASK
-107
315 FSK
-110
433.92 FSK
-109
All numbers are based on Datasheet conditions

Ground Multipath Loss

<block diagram>

Free Space Loss

Est. Flat Earth Loss

-10
Exact Flat Earth Loss

-20
-30

Path Loss (dB)

-40
-50
-60
Reference Maxim Application Note AN3586

-70

Ground Reflection Path Loss

System Variables
TX height

Variable
hTX

Units
m

Equation

-80

Value
1

-90

RX height

hRX

Distance
Direct Path

d
d1

m
m

2 1/2

d1 = (d +(hTX-hRX) )

175
175

Reflection Path

d2

d2 = (d2+(hTX+hRX)2)1/2

175.0114282

Reflection Path

d = d2 - d1

0.011428198

Estimated Reflection Path

de

m
m
none

de = 2hTXhRX/d

Wavelength
Normalized Ground Bounce Amplitude

(from Link Budget sheet)

0.011428571
0.951722089
1

0
1
2

2.0
2.1
2.2

0.828427125 -28.43459421 -15.05149978 -33.47372226

0.802796463 -28.81647641 -15.81526418 -32.3267052
0.776380208 -29.21441393 -16.61113922 -31.44410884

Loss From Ground Bounce Cancellation

LGB

dB

LGB =10log10(0.5(1+a2-2acos(2d/)))

-25.45941048

2.3

0.749265363 -29.62831801 -17.43894738 -30.77504463

Free Space Loss

LFS

dB

LFS = 10log10(/4d)2

-67.27475527

2.4

0.721551592 -30.05804216 -18.29839569 -30.28633475

Flat Earth Loss

LFE

dB

LFE = LGB+ LFS

-92.73416576

2.5

0.693350063 -30.50338431 -19.18907998 -29.95517186

6
7

2.7
2.8

0.664781816 -30.96408965 -20.11049065 -29.76512669

0.635975697 -31.4398542 -21.06201975 -29.70381893

Value
-92.7318219

8
9

3.0
3.2

0.607065915 -31.93032895 -22.04296925 -29.76148411

0.578189332 -32.43512442 -23.05256019 -29.93005728

-25.45706663

10

3.4

0.549482591 -32.95381557 -24.08994249 -30.20257269

11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35

3.6
3.8
4.1
4.3
4.6
5.0
5.3
5.7
6.1
6.6
7.1
7.6
8.2
8.9
9.6
10.4
11.2
12.1
13.1
14.2
15.4
16.7
18.1
19.7
21.3

1
(from Link Budget sheet)
2

Ground Reflection Path Loss Approximation (for d > 5(hTX+hRX))

System Variables
Estimated Flat Earth Loss*
Estimated Ground Bounce Cancellation Loss
* Introduction to RF Propagation, John S. Seybold, p.172

Variable
LFEe
LGBe

Units
dB
dB

Equation
LFEe = 10log10(hTX2hRX2/2d4)
= LFEe - LFS

Range (meters)
-100
1.0

10.0

Distance Index Distance

Delta d

0.521079243
0.493106994
0.46568521
0.438922797
0.412916522
0.387749844
0.363492233
0.340198992
0.317911501
0.29665784
0.276453697
0.257303498
0.239201656
0.222133902
0.206078612
0.191008094
0.176889811
0.163687493
0.151362143
0.139872924
0.129177924
0.11923481
0.11000137
0.101435957
0.093497848

Free Space
Loss

-33.48594693
-34.03103781
-34.5885875
-35.15808033
-35.73899052
-36.33078681
-36.93293667
-37.54491016
-38.16618342
-38.79624167
-39.43458187
-40.08071487
-40.7341673
-41.39448294
-42.06122383
-42.73397107
-43.4123253
-44.09590696
-44.78435631
-45.47733328
-46.17451717
-46.87560621
-47.58031702
-48.28838396
-48.99955848

100.0

Est. Flat Earth Exact Flat

Loss
Earth Loss

-25.15420522
-26.24438699
-27.35948637
-28.49847201
-29.6602924
-30.84388498
-32.0481847
-33.27213169
-34.5146782
-35.77479471
-37.05147509
-38.34374111
-39.65064597
-40.97127724
-42.30475902
-43.6502535
-45.00696196
-46.37412528
-47.75102397
-49.13697791
-50.5313457
-51.93352379
-53.34294539
-54.75907927
-56.18142832

-30.57276717
-31.03482013
-31.58318856
-32.21250885
-32.917546
-33.6931755
-34.53438709
-35.43630164
-36.39419494
-37.40352335
-38.45994807
-39.55935576
-40.69787419
-41.87188251
-43.07801617
-44.31316678
-45.57447776
-46.85933638
-48.16536309
-49.4903988
-50.83249086
-52.18987836
-53.5609771
-54.94436473
-56.33876638

1000.0

36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60

23.2
25.2
27.3
29.7
32.3
35.1
38.2
41.5
45.1
49.1
53.4
58.2
63.3
68.9
75.0
81.6
88.9
96.8
105.4
114.8
125.0
136.2
148.3
161.6
175.0

0.086147519
0.079346861
0.073059326
0.067250037
0.061885847
0.056935372
0.052368986
0.048158813
0.044278679
0.04070407
0.037412069
0.034381292
0.031591817
0.029025109
0.026663947
0.024492349
0.022495497
0.020659669
0.018972164
0.017421237
0.015996035
0.014686535
0.013483486
0.012378354
0.011428198

-49.71360838
-50.43031704
-51.14948267
-51.87091747
-52.59444695
-53.31990905
-54.0471535
-54.77604102
-55.50644262
-56.23823899
-56.97131977
-57.70558301
-58.44093455
-59.17728745
-59.91456154
-60.65268287
-61.39158327
-62.13119994
-62.87147502
-63.61235523
-64.35379155
-65.09573884
-65.83815557
-66.58100355
-67.27475527

-57.60952812
-59.04294545
-60.48127669
-61.92414631
-63.37120525
-64.82212947
-66.27661837
-67.73439339
-69.19519661
-70.65878934
-72.12495091
-73.59347739
-75.06418045
-76.53688626
-78.01143444
-79.4876771
-80.9654779
-82.44471123
-83.92526139
-85.40702183
-86.88989447
-88.37378904
-89.8586225
-91.34431847
-92.7318219

-57.74304089
-59.1561678
-60.57723532
-62.00542914
-63.4400222
-64.88036544
-66.3258793
-67.7760462
-69.23040367
-70.68853831
-72.15008032
-73.61469867
-75.08209681
-76.55200883
-78.02419612
-79.49844432
-80.97456071
-82.45237186
-83.93172153
-85.41246883
-86.89448663
-88.37766006
-89.86188527
-91.34706828
-92.73416576

Cable Loss
System Variables
Attenuation at 1GHz

Variable
GCab1G

Units
Equation Value
dB/100 ft
-20

Cable Type @1GHz

RG-58C/U
-20

Length of Cable

dCab

0.61

RG-142B/U

-13

Cable Loss Factor

Lcab

dB

-0.40026

RG-174A/U
RG-8X

-31
-13.5

2 ft = 0.6096m

Pasternack Enterprisese, Catalog 2008B, p254-256

ft = 0.6096m

Obstructions Loss
<block diagram>
Block
First Obstruction Loss

Variable
LObs1

Units
dB

Second Obstruction Loss

LObs2

dB

Third Obstruction Loss

LObs3

dB

Fourth Obstruction Loss

LObs4

dB

Fifth Obstruction Loss

LObs5

dB

Total Obstruction Loss

LObs-Total

dB

Loss Figure
3.0
10.0
2.0

dB
dB
dB

Obstruction
Interior Wall
Exterior Wall
Window

Electronic Design - Top 5 Engineering Essentials , Louis E. Frenzel, 2011 Penton, p.5

Light Internal Wall (plaster board), Window

Concrete or Brick Internal Wall
Floor (reinforced concrete <30cm thick)

3.4
6.9
18.3

dB
dB
dB

Indoor Wireless RF Channels , John S. Davis, 1993 1995 1997 www.WirelessCommunication.NL

<25% Forested
25 to <50% Forested
50 to <75% Forested
>=75% Forested
Dense Swamp
Rural Land Development
Town Development
Suburban Development
City Development
Dense Urban Development
Residential and Light Commercial Buildings
Small to Medium Offices, Stores, or Factories
Large Commercial Buildings or Shopping Malls
Typical Automobile

5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
10.0

800 to 900 MHz Radio Frequency Propagation Characteristics , Chris Fagas, WB2VVV,

dB
dB
dB
dB
dB
dB
dB
dB
dB
dB
dB
dB
dB
dB

Equation

Value
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0