Enter the input voltage and the output voltage into the calculator to determine the decibel attenuation.
Attenuation Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the decibel attenuation.
dbv = 20* log10 (Vo / V in )
- Where dbv is the attenuation in decibels
- Vo is the output voltage
- V in is the input voltage
Attenuation Definition
Attenuation is defined as the reduction of power being supplied to a device caused by an attenuator.
Attenuation Example
How to calculate an attenuation?
- First, determine the output voltage.
Measure the output voltage.
- Next, determine the input voltage.
Measure the input voltage.
- Finally, calculate the attenuation.
Calculate the attenuation using the formula above.
FAQ
An attenuator is a two-port resistive network. It is used to reduce the power being supplied to a device. The attenuation is the size of this reduction in power expressed in decibels.
Attenuation is measure in decibels because attenuation is a unitless but very small number expressed in a logarithmic scale. Since decibels are also logarithmic and unitless, it helps analyze the small changes more easily.
