EMC Formulas

Term Conversion in 50Ω Environment

Log
Linear
dBV to dBm dBm  dBV  107
Volts2
dBA to dBm dBm  dBA  73 Volts to Watts Watts 
50
dBm to dBV dBV  dBm  107 Amps to Watts Watts  Amps2  50

dBA to dBV dBV  dBA  34 Watts to Volts Volts  Watts  50

dBm to dBA dBA  dBm  73 Amps to Volts Volts  Amps  50

dBV to dBA dBA  dBV  34 Watts

Watts to Amps Amps 
50
Log  Linear
Volts
Volts to dBm dBm  20  Log(Volts)  13 Volts to Amps Amps 
50
Amps to dBm dBm  20  Log( Amps)  47
Unit Conversion
Watts to dBV dBV  10  Log(watts)  137
Log  Linear
Amps to dBV dBV  20  Log( Amps)  154
Watts to dBm dBm  10  LogWatts  30
Watts to dBA dBA  10  Log(Watts)  103
Volts to dBV dBV  20  logVolts  120
Volts to dBA dBA  20  Log(Volts)  86
Amps to dBA dBA  20  log Amps  120
Log  Linear
 dBV 137 
Ω to dBΩ dB  20  log
 
dBV to Watts Watts  10  10  Used for the conversion of Voltage & Current

 dBA103 
 
dBA to Watts Watts  10 10  Log  Linear

 dBm13   dBm30 
   
dBm to Volts Volts  10
 20  dBm to Watts Watts  10 10 

 dBA86   dBV 120 

   
dBA to Volts Volts  10  20  dBV to Volts Volts  10 20 

 dBm47   dBA120 
   
dBm to Amps Amps  10  20  dBA to Amps Amps  10  20 

 dBV 154   dB 

   
dBV to Amps Amps  10  20  dBΩ to Ω   10 20 

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Term Conversion / Ohms law
V

W 
Log 

W
W


dBV to dBm dBm  dBV  10  Log()  90

A
A V

W
A

V
Volts Amps
dBA to dBm dBm  dBA  10  Log()  90
Ohms Watts
VA

V
Ω W

A
dBm to dBV dBV  dBm  10  Log()  90

A
2
W
2


dBA to dBV dBV  dBA  20  Log() V 2
V

A
2
dBm to dBA dBA  dBm  10  Log()  90
W 

dBV to dBA dBA  dBV  20  Log()

Sine Wave
Linear
Voltage levels for a sine wave
2
Volts
Find Watts Watts  Amps2   , Watts  
 Voltspeak  2  Voltsrms   VoltsAvg
2
Find Volts Volts  Amps   , Volts  Watts  
Voltspeak 
Voltsrms    VoltsAvg
Volts 2 2 2
Watts ,
Find Amps Amps  Amps 
 
2 2 2
Voltsavg   Voltspeak   VoltsAvg
dB Calculations  

Voltspeak peak  2  Voltspeak

dB  Watts  Watts1 
dB  10Log 
 Watts2 

dB  Volts  Volts1 
dB  20Log 
 Volts2 

dB  Amps  Amps1 
dB  20Log 
 Amps2 

 dB 10 Log (Wattsstart ) 

 
New Watts w/dB  WattsNew  10  10 

 dB  20 Log (Voltsstart ) 

 
New Volts w/dB  VoltsNew  10  20 

 dB  20 Log ( Ampsstart ) 

 
New Amps w/dB  AmpsNew  10  20 

dB Correction for distance change (antenna far field)

 distance2 
dB  20  Log 
 distance1 
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w/ Impedance of air = 377 Ω Current Injection
Power needed for BCI probe (50Ω) for given
dBV/m to dBm/m2 dBm / m 2  dBV / m  115.8 Insertion loss(IL(dB))
  2 
 IL10 LOG Volts 50  
dBm/m2 to dBV/m dBV / m  dBm / m 2  115.8 


10


 
Watts  10  

dBA/m to dBV/m dBV / m  dBA / m  51.5


 IL10LOG Amps2 50

 
 
dBA / m  dBV / m  51.5 Watts  10  10 
dBV/m to dBA/m

 IL dBA73 
dBA/m to dBpT dBpT  dBA / m  2  
Watts  10 10 

dBpT to dBA/m dBA / m  dBpT  2

Power needed for BCI probe or EM Clamp (150Ω)
Watts/m2 to V/m V / m  Watts / m  377 2
for given Insertion loss(IL(dB))
  2 
 IL10 LOG Volts 150  
  
V 2  
10
V/m to Watts/m2 Watts / m 2  m  

377 Watts  10  


 IL10 LOG Amps2 150  
Radiated Field 
 
Watts  10  10 

 dBV / m120 
 
dBV/m to V/m V / m  10 20 
Conducted current measurement using a current
probe. Where reading is in dBV and probe factor
V/m to dBV/m dBV / m  20  Log(V m)  120
is dBΩ or Ω
New V/m with dB dBA  dBV  dB
 dB  20 Log (V m start ) 



 dBA  dBV  20  Log()
V / mnew  10  
20

Interpolation values on a graph w/ Log of frequency Power needed for TEM Cell
This equation works for finding all points on a test
curve where test limit is sloping (i.e. DO 160F BCI
testing) Watts 
V m  Height  0.52
(50)

 freqnew  Power needed for GTEM Cell

Log 
freqlower 
valuenew    valueupper  valuelower   Valuelower
 frequpper 
Watts 
V m  SpectrualHeight2 1.08
Log 
 freqlower  (50)

Wave length ()

300 75
[meters]  1
4 [meters] 
MHz MHz

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Period Reflection Coefficient ()

1 1 WattsRe v
Time(s)  Hz  
Hz Time(s) WattsFwd

VSWR load   Amp


load   Amp
VSWR given Fwd/Rev power
VSWR  1

1
Wattsrev VSWR  1
Wattsfwd
VSWR    RL( dB) 
 
1
Wattsrev   10  20 

Wattsfwd

Return Loss (RL) in dB

VSWR given Return Loss (RL)
 VSWR  1 
RL(dB)  20  Log 
  RL( dB ) 
   VSWR  1 
1  10  20 
VSWR    RL( dB ) 
   Wattsfwd 
1  10 20 
RL(dB)  10  Log 
 Wattsrev 

RL(dB)  20  Log

VSWR Given Impedance (Z)

ZO>ZL O
VSWR 
L Transmission Loss (TL) in dB

ZL>ZO L  Wattsfwd 
VSWR  TL(dB)  10  Log 
O  Watts  Watts 
 fwd rev 

TL(dB)  10  Log1  2 

    RL( dB)  2 
 
VSWR given reflection coefficient () TL(dB)  10  Log1  10 20   
   
  
1 
VSWR    VSWR  1 2 
1  TL(dB)  10  Log1   
  VSWR  1  
 

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Antenna Equations Field Strength

Far Field Distance 30 Watts  Gainnumeric

V /m 
Meters
Dipole & Log-periodic antenna

FarField   GaindBi 
 
2  30  Watts 10  10 
V /m 
Meters
Horn antenna 2  apeture2
FarField 
 V m  meters2
Watts 
30  Gainnumeric

Far Field Equations

Watts 
V m  meters2
 GaindBi 
 
 GaindBi 
 
30  10 10 

Gain over isotropic GainNumeric  10  10 

GaindBi  10  Log(Gainnumeric ) Power needed if gain remains constant (in Far

Field) using same antenna and changing field level
GainNumeric 
Meters V m2 or test distance.
30 Watts

 Meters  V m 2  For Field Change WattsNew  WattsOld

V m New 2
GaindBi  10  Log 
 V mOld 2
 30  Watts 

GaindBi  20  Log(MHz)  AF  29.79 For Distance Change

WattsNew  WattsOld
MetersNew 2
MetersOld 2
Antenna Factor (AF)
Power for given Amplitude Modulation %
AF  20  Log(MHz)  GaindBi  29.79
Wattspeak  WattsCW  1  %  0.01
2

Wattsavg 

WattsCW  2  %  0.01
2

AF  20  Log(MHz)  10  Log(Gainnumeric)  29.79 2

Wattsavg 

Wattspeak  2  %  0.01
2

2  1  %  0.01
2
Find Antenna Spot size, Beam Width and Distance

 Angle3dB  Power for given Pulse Modulation

Spot meters  2  Distance meters tan  
 2  Duty Cycle %

Spot meters Wattsavg

Distancemeters  Wattspeak 
2  tan
Angle3dB  %  0.01
 2 

 Spot meters 
Angle3dB  2  tan 1  
 2  Distance 

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 Useful conversions Resistor Color Codes
A B C D DA C B
1 in = 0.0254 m
1 ft = 0.3048 m 1st 2nd Multiplier Tolerance Color
(A) (B) (C) (D)
1 yd = 0.9144 m
0 0 1 1% Black
1 in2 = 0.00064516 m2
1 1 10 2% Brown
1 ft2 = 0.092903 m2
2 2 100 3% Red
1 yd2 = 0.83612736 m2 3 3 103 4% Orange
1 in3 = 0.000016387064 m3 4 4 104 Yellow
1 ft3 = 0.028316846 m3 5 5 105 Green
1 yd3 = 0.764554858 m3 6 6 106 Blue
1 lb = 0.45359237 kg 7 7 107 Violet
1 psi. = 6,894.7573 Pa (Pascal) 8 8 108 Gray
1 hp = 550 ftlb/sec = 745.6999 Watts 9 9 109 White
C = (F-32)/1.8 Gold 0.1 5%
Silver 0.01 10%
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 = 1024 yotta Y
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 = 1021 zetta Z
No color 20%
1,000,000,000,000,000,000 1018 exa E
1,000,000,000,000,000 = 1015 peta P Capacitor Color Codes
1,000,000,000,000 = 1012 tera T
1,000,000,000 = 109 giga G E A B C D
1,000,000 = 106 mega M Ceramic Cap
1,000 = 103 kilo k E A B C D
A B
White=EIA Code
100 = 102 hecto h Black=Military Code
D C
Color=Old EIA
0.01 = 10-2 centi c Disc Cap Classification Mica Cap
0.001 = 10-3 milli m
0.000001 = 10-6 micro  Color Codes for Ceramic Caps
0.000000001 = 10-9 nano n Mult Tolerance
0. 000000000001 = 10-12 pico p
0. 000000000000001 = 10-15 femto f
iplier (D) Temp Coef
0. 000000000000000001 = 10-18 atto a (C) Abo Below ppm/C Color
0. 000000000000000000001 = 10-21 zepto z ve 10pf (E)
0. 000000000000000000000001 = 10-24 yocto y 10pf
1 20 2.0 0 Black
10 1 -30 Brown
100 2 -80 Red
1000 3 -150 Orange
4 -220 Yellow
5 0.5 -330 Green
6 -470 Blue
7 -750 Violet
0.01 8 0.25 30 Gray
0.1 10 1.0 500 White

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