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I hope you’ve learned something from this article. Let’s start with this simple math that you’ve learned in the middle school: So we need to discuss logarithm before talking about dB. Its a logarithmic scale, so a sound 10 times more powerful is 10 dB. Using decibels involves working with logarithms, and this is the very minimum math knowledge you should have. On the decibel scale, the smallest audible sound (near total silence) is 0 dB. This brief tutorial will help you clarify the difference between working with decibels and working with linear values. The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B).It expresses the ratio of two values of a power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale.Two signals whose levels differ by one decibel have a power ratio of 10 1/10 (approximately) or root-power ratio of 10 (approximately). I saw a lot of young RF fellows who ignored the importance of understanding dB, eventually realized that they need to learn this simple term well if they want to go further in the RF field. In this post I’ll do the best to explain the basics in plain words and hopefully you’ll not have any more confusion after reading it.ĭealing with numbers for gain, voltage, and power that mix dB, dBm, dBc, dBW, dBmW, watts, milliwatts, volts, millivolts, etc., often requires converting back and forth between linear values and decibel values. Unfortunately, if you can’t thoroughly understand this important scale, then you will have tremendous difficulty to get your RF expedition moved on. Visit ABOUT to see what you can learn from this blog.’ĭB (Decibel) is the most important and often used scale in the RF field, but it’s also understandably difficult and confusing for someone just being introduced to it. ‘Note: This is an article written by an RF engineer who has worked in this field for over 40 years.