Enter the signal power and noise power in decibels (dB) into the calculator to determine the noise factor on a linear scale.
Noise Factor Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the noise factor:
NF = 10 ^ ((NP - SP) / 10)
Variables:
- NF is the noise factor (linear scale)
- NP is the noise power (dB)
- SP is the signal power (dB)
To calculate the noise factor, subtract the signal power from the noise power, divide by 10, and then raise 10 to the power of that result.
What is a Noise Factor?
The noise factor is a measure of the degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as it passes through a system or device. It is a dimensionless number that quantifies the additional noise introduced by the system compared to an ideal system that would only add thermal noise. The noise factor is often used in the field of telecommunications and signal processing to assess the performance of amplifiers and receivers.
How to Calculate Noise Factor?
The following steps outline how to calculate the Noise Factor.
- First, determine the noise power (NP) in decibels (dB).
- Next, determine the signal power (SP) in decibels (dB).
- Use the formula NF = 10 ^ ((NP – SP) / 10) to calculate the noise factor (NF).
- Finally, calculate the Noise Factor (NF) on a linear scale.
- After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.
Example Problem:
Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.
Noise power (NP) = 100 dB
Signal power (SP) = 90 dB
