Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology
Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Department of Telecommunications
Link Budget Analysis
Lectured by Ha Hoang Kha, Ph.D.
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology
Email:
[email protected] Content
Pathloss and noise
Link budget analysis
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Communication Link Analysis
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Link Budget Analysis
Gain Ant
Transmitter
Loss
Information Modulator Amplifier Filter
Feedline
RF Propagation
Ant
Receiver
Information Demodulator Pre-Amplifier Filter
Feedline
Gain
A Link Budget analysis determines if there is enough
power at the receiver to recover the information
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Transmit Power Components
Begin with the power output of the transmit amplifier
• Subtract (in dB) losses due to passive components in the
transmit chain after the amplifier
- Filter loss, Feedline loss, Jumpers loss, Etc.
• Add antenna gain
- dBi
Result is EIRP
Ant
Transmitter
Information Modulator Amplifier Filter
Feedline
RF Propagation
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Power in a wireless system
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Link budget
‣ The performance of any communication link depends on the quality
of the equipment being used.
‣ Link budget is a way of quantifying the link performance.
‣ The received power in an 802.11 link is determined by three factors:
transmit power, transmitting antenna gain, and receiving
antenna gain.
‣ If that power, minus the free space loss of the link path, is greater
than the minimum received signal level of the receiving radio, then
a link is possible.
‣ The difference between the minimum received signal level and the
actual received power is called the link margin.
‣ The link margin must be positive, and should be maximized (should
be at least 10dB or more for reliable links).
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H. H. Kha
Free Space Pathloss
Signal power is diminished by geometric spreading of
the wavefront, commonly known as Free Space Loss.
The power of the signal is spread over a wave front,
the area of which increases as the distance from the
transmitter increases. Therefore, the power density
diminishes.
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Range Equation
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Effective Radiated Power
Antenna gain
The effective isotropic radiated power is the product of
the transmitted power and the antenna gain
• The same EIRP can be achieved in many ways
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Example: EIRP
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Antenna Gain in terms of Area
In terms of received power using effective radiated
power
The relationship between antenna gain and effective
area
Antenna Reciprocity
• For given antenna and carrier wavelength, the
transmitting and receiving antenna gains are identical.
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Example: Pathloss
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Thermal Noise Power
Modeled as additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN)
• N is the noise power
• κ is Boltzmann’s constant
• T is absolute temperature in degrees Kelvin
• B is the bandwidth in Hertz
Noise power spectral density: N0=N/B=kT
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Link Budget Analysis
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Error-Performance Degradation
In digital communications, the relationship between
SNR and Eb/No
SNR relates the average signal power and average
noise power
Eb/N0 relates the energy per bit to the noise energy
Loss: refers to a loss in signal energy
Noise: refers to an increase in noise or interference
energy
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Eb/N0
Bit energy to noise power spectral density can be
expressed as:
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Link Budget Analysis
Safety Margin (M)
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How much link margin is enough ?
The link can be closed If M (dB) is positive
The required error performance will be satisfied.
The link cannot be closed If M (dB) is negative.
The required error performance will not be satisfied.
For example
M ??
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Example link budget calculation
Let’s estimate the feasibility of a 5 km link, with one access
point and one client radio.
The access point is connected to an antenna with 10 dBi gain,
with a transmitting power of 20 dBm and a receive sensitivity
of -89 dBm.
The client is connected to an antenna with 14 dBi gain, with a
transmitting power of 15 dBm and a receive sensitivity of -82
dBm.
The cables in both systems are short, with a loss of 2dB at
each side at the 2.4 GHz frequency of operation.
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AP to Client link
+10 dBi +14 dBi
+20 dBm
-2 dB -114 dB @ 5 km -2 dB
??
?
-82 dBm
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Link budget: AP to Client link
20 dBm (TX Power AP)
+ 10 dBi (Antenna Gain AP)
- 2 dB (Cable Losses AP)
+ 14 dBi (Antenna Gain Client)
- 2 dB (Cable Losses Client)
40 dB Total Gain
-114 dB (free space loss @5 km)
-73 dBm (expected received signal level)
--82 dBm (sensitivity of Client)
8 dB (link margin)
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Opposite direction: Client to AP
+14 dBi +10 dBi
+15 dBm
-2 dB -114 dB @ 5 km -2 dB
??
?
-89 dBm
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23
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Link budget: Client to AP link
15 dBm (TX Power Client)
+ 14 dBi (Antenna Gain Client)
- 2 dB (Cable Losses Client)
+ 10 dBi (Antenna Gain AP)
- 2 dB (Cable Losses AP)
35 dB Total Gain
-114 dB (free space loss @5 km)
-78 dBm (expected received signal level)
--89 dBm (sensitivity of AP)
10 dB (link margin)
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