Signal Level Budget (Cascaded Gain/Loss)
Accumulate stage gains and losses in dB to get the output level of a signal chain.
Worked example
Input: Input level 0 dBm, Stage 1 gain (loss negative) -1.5 dB, Stage 2 gain 20 dB, Stage 3 gain -6 dB, Stage 4 gain -10 dB
Result: Total gain 2.5 dB, Output level 2.5 dBm, Output power 1.77828 mW, Output voltage level (50 Ω) 109.5 dBµV
Result: Total gain 2.5 dB, Output level 2.5 dBm, Output power 1.77828 mW, Output voltage level (50 Ω) 109.5 dBµV
Formula
P_out = P_in + G₁ + G₂ + G₃ + G₄ (all in dB)
How it works
Add the dB gain or loss of each cable, attenuator, amplifier and coupler along the path in one go. Enter gains as positive and losses as negative numbers. Handy for immunity-test signal chains and receiver front-end checks.
Practical tipCheck at every stage that the level stays below that component’s maximum input or compression point. A correct final output can still hide saturation in an intermediate stage.
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Results and summaries are for reference. For certification and test reports use the latest official standard text and calibrated instrument data. Last updated: 2026-10-10