Electromagnetic Compatibility

Decibels and Common EMC Units

Flavia Grassi
POLITECNICO DI MILANO
Dept. of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering
EMC Group @ POLIMI
Milan, Italy
Email: flavia.grassi@polimi.it
Tel.: +39 02 2399 3796

MILAN, March 2016

Primary Quantities in EMC

EMC Group @ POLIMI

The primary quantities of interest in EMC problems are

1. conducted emissions [voltage in volts (V), and current in
amperes (A)]
2. radiated emissions [electric field in volts per meter (V/m)
and magnetic field in amperes per meter (A/m)]
Associated with these primary quantities are the quantities
of power in watts (W) or power density in watts per square
meter (W/m2)
The numerical range of these quantities can be quite large
2

Decibels
EMC Group @ POLIMI

Because these wide ranges in units are common in the

EMC community, EMC units are expressed in decibels (dB)
In essence, decibels have the property of:
1.Compressing large ranges, e.g., a range of voltages of
108 is 160 dB
2.Expanding small ranges, e.g., a range of voltages of 10-8
is -160 dB
Note that:
Decibels are introduced as the ratio of two quantities
3

Decibels

contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

The ratio of two quantities in dB is given by

P
10 log10 2 (power)
P1
V
20 log10 2 (voltage)
V1
I
20 log10 2 (current)
I1
4

Decibels

contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

The impedance of an unknown component is

measured in the frequency range 10 kHz - 1 GHz.
The obtained measurement data are plotted in the following.
Which representation is the best?
For instance, assume that the user is interested in knowing
the impedance value at 100 kHz and 100 MHz.

Decibels

contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

Plot no. 1:

Linear-linear

7000
6000

|Z|, []

5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
0

X: 1.005e+008
Y: 631.6

4
5
6
Frequency, [Hz]

@ 100 MHz, Z = 631

10
8
x 10

Decibels

contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

Plot no. 2:

Log-linear

7000
6000

|Z|, []

5000
4000
3000
2000
1000

X: 1.005e+008
Y: 631.6

0 4
10

10

10
10
Frequency, [Hz]

10

10

@ 100 MHz, Z = 631

Decibels

contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

Plot no. 3:

Log-log (dB)

@ 100 MHz, Z = 56dB

80
60

X: 1.004e+008
Y: 56

|Z|, [dB]

40
20
0

X: 1e+005
Y: -4.036

-20
-40 4
10

10

10
10
Frequency, [Hz]

10

@ 100 kHz, Z = -4.036 dB < 0 dB .

10

Decibels

contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

Absolute power, voltage, or current levels are expressed in

dB by giving their value above or referenced to some base
quantity:

volts
dBmV 20 log10

1 mV
amps
dBmA 20 log10

1 mA
watts
dBmW 10 log10
dBm
1
m
W

Examples
EMC Group @ POLIMI

Example 1
How many dBV are 3 V?

V (V )
V ( dBV ) 20log10

1 V

3
20log10 3 106
V ( dBV ) 20log10
-6
1 10
20log10 3 120 129.5 dBV
10

Examples

contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

Example 2
How many dBmV are 0.9 mV?

0.9 mV
V ( dBmV ) 20log10
0.91dBmV
1mV

. How many dBV?

V ( dBV ) 0.91 60 dBV = 60.91dBV

. How many dBV?

V ( dBV ) 0.91 60 dB V = 59.09 dB V

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Examples

contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

Example 3
How many W and mW are 28 dBm?

P ( dBm ) 10 log10 P ( mW )

P ( mW ) 10

28

10

( mW )

10

P ( dBm )

10

630.96 mW 0.63 W

By the way

(V )

V ( dBV )

10

20

V ( dBmV 60)

10

20

V ( dB V 120)

10

20
12

Power and Voltage Gain

EMC Group @ POLIMI

Voltage Gain

Power Gain
Pin

Pout

Vin

Vout

Gp

G pdB 10 log10

Gv

Pout
Pin

GvdB 20 log10

Vout
Vin

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Example: Gain of a power amplifier

EMC Group @ POLIMI

Rout = RL
In decibles, voltage and power gains are coincident
Rout=Rin), i.e.,

dB
p

V
V2 /R
10 log10 out2 out 10 log10 out
Vin / Rin
Vin

(if

V
20 log10 out GvdB
Vin

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A Useful Property of Logarithms

EMC Group @ POLIMI

Recalling that

log10 kx log10 k log10 x

therefore:
dBV
V ( V)
(dBV)
2 V (V) 20log10 2 V ( V) 20 log10 2 20log10
6 V
1V
If the ratio of two voltages (currents) is 2, in decibels these
voltages (currents) differ by 6 dB
If the ratio of two powers is 2, in decibles they differ by 3 dB

This property can be used for approximate conversion

without the use of a calculator
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A Useful Property contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

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Examples
EMC Group @ POLIMI

Example 1
How many dBV are 200 V?

200V
20log10
1V

200V 2 102 V

20log10 2 40log10 10 46dBV

Example 2
How many dBV are 640 V ?

640V 26 10V 26 105 V

26 105V
20log10
1V

6 20log10 2 5 20log10 10 36 100 64dBV

Exact values: 46.02 dBV (example 1); -63.88 dBV (example 2)

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EM Fields in Decibels
EMC Group @ POLIMI

Radiated electromagnetic fields are given in terms of

electric field intensity in units of volts per meter (V/m) or in
terms of magnetic field intensity in units of amperes per
meter (A/m)
These units translate in the same fashion as voltage and
current

V/m
dB V/m 20 log10

1 V/m
A/m
dB A/m 20 log10

1 A/m

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Common (dB) EMC Units

EMC Group @ POLIMI

Power: dBm (stands for dBmW)

Voltage: dBV
Current: dBA
Electric Field: dBV/m
Magnetic Field: dBA/m
Impedance: dB

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Signal Sources
EMC Group @ POLIMI

Signal sources can be modeled by a Thevenin

equivalent circuit

Voc is the open-circuit voltage

RS is the internal resistance
Todays signal sources have internal resistance
approximately equal to 50 .

20

10

EMC Measurement Systems

EMC Group @ POLIMI

In EMC measurement systems

Receivers with input impedance 50
Coaxial cables with characteristic impedance
approximately 50 (apart from small losses in the
cable)
are used in order to achieve matching with the 50
internal resistance of typical signal sources.

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The Importance of Matching

EMC Group @ POLIMI

In case of matching:
the input impedance seen from the source outlet is
constant over frequency and equal to 50 ,
ideally, no reflections occur at the terminations of the
coaxial cable (the received signal is just sligthly
attenuated due to cable losses),
the signal source delivers to the load (i.e., to the
receiver 50 resistor) the maximum power, i.e.,

Pmax

2
VOC
( rms )

4 RS

Pmax is the available power at the signal source output

22

11

Signal Source Specifications

EMC Group @ POLIMI

With this concept is mind, it is easy to understand that

the output voltage Vout set on a signal source is
related to VOC by

Vout

RL
1
VOC VOC
RS RL
2

RS RL 50
Hence, the output voltage of a source is the voltage
that would be measured across a matched load!

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Signal Source Specifications contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

For this reason, setting Vout is equivalent to set the

available power Pmax at the output of the signal
source, i.e., the power the source would deliver to a
matched load (maximum power transfer).
Accordingly, on the display of a signal source the
output can be equivalently selected in terms of output
voltage or output power.

24

12

Signal Level
EMC Group @ POLIMI

Relationship between Vout e Pout

V / 2 Vout2
V2
OC OC
RS
RS
4 RS
2

Pout Pmax
In decibels:

V2
1
( dBm )
=10 log10 out 3 20 log10 (Vout ) 30 20 log10 (50)
Pout
2
RS 10
34
( dB V )
20 log10 (Vout )=Vout
120

( dBm )
( dB V )
Pout
=Vout
107

25

Signal Level contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

On the receiver side, since the receiver input

resistance is equal to 50 , we can equivalently
measure current or voltage levels at the receiver
input.
As a matter of fact, these quantities
are related by the expression

Vrec 50 I rec
In decibels:
( dBV , dBmV , dB V )
( dBA, dBmA, dB A)
Vrec
34 I rec

26

13

Power Loss in Cables

EMC Group @ POLIMI

As previously mentioned, in 50 -systems coaxial

cables with 50 characteristic impedance are used to
prevent reflections and signal distortion (*).
Despite that, electrically-long cables may introduce
signal attenuation (i.e., power losses) which depend
on:
length of the cable
operating frequency

(*) Basic knowledge on transmission line theory and distributed-parameter circuit

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modeling will be provided during the following lectures

Signal Attenuation
EMC Group @ POLIMI

y ( x, t ) A0 e x cos(t x 0 )

A( x )
A( x ) A0 e x

A( x 0) A0
The units of

are neper/meter

Therefore, signal attenuation is given in Neper

ANeper log e

A0
x
A0 e x

28

14

Signal Attenuation contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

Where

e x

is the attenuation factor in x.

In decibels:

A0
x 20 log10 (e)
AdB 20 log10
x
A
e
0

8.686 x 8.686 ANp

29

Power Loss in Cables

EMC Group @ POLIMI

, L
P ( x 0)
Cable LossdB 10 log10 in

L
P
(
x
)
out

10log10 e2L

8.686 L

Given by cable manufacturers in dB/length.

30

15

Power Loss in Cables contd

EMC Group @ POLIMI

Cable losses are specified by cable manufacturers as

the ratio

Cable Loss

Pin
Pout

Cable Loss dB Pin dBx Pout dBx

This ratio is measured in a 50 system, and assigned

for specific frequencies and cable lengths.
For example, RG-58U cables are specified as having
4.5 dB/100 feet loss at 100 MHz.

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Problem
EMC Group @ POLIMI

A 50 source is connected to a 50 receiver using

30 feet of RG-58U coaxial cable. If the source output
is 100 MHz and 30 dBm, determine the voltage at
the receiver in mV and dBV.

Cable Loss@100 MHz 4.5

dB
30feet=1.35dB
100feet

Pin 30 dBm
32

16

Solution
EMC Group @ POLIMI

Method 1
( dBm )
Pout
Pin( dBm ) Cable Loss@100MHz 31.35dBm

2
Vout
Pout
50

( dBm )
dB V
Pout
107 Vout
75.65dBV

dBmV
Vout
75.65dBV- 60=15.65dBmV
dBmV

mV
Vout
10Vout

/20

6.06 mV

33

Solution
EMC Group @ POLIMI

Method 2

Vin( dBV ) Pin( dBm ) 107 77dBV

Recalling that voltage and power gains in decibels are
coincident, one obtains
( dB V )
Vout
Vin( dBV ) Cable Loss@100MHz 75.65dBV

etc

34

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