mV-to-dBm-calculator

mV to dBm Conversion Calculator

Use this tool to convert from mV (millivolt) to dBm (dB milliwatt).

Notes:

  • the impedance will have to be specified and the default value is 50 ohm
  • mV is considered to be root-mean-square (RMS)

🔁 dBm to mV

Formula

PmW​=(10-3*VmV)2​ *(1/R)*1000

where

  • VmV is the RMS voltage in millivolt
  • R is the impedance

PdBm​=10*Log10​(PmW​)

  • PdBm is the power in dBm

Background

Millivolt

A millivolt (mV) is a unit of electric potential equal to one-thousandth of a volt (0.001 volts). It is commonly used in various scientific, engineering, and medical applications where small voltages need to be measured or referenced.

Definition:

  • 1 millivolt (mV) = 0.001 volts (V)
  • 1 volt (V) = 1,000 millivolts (mV)

Applications:

Electronics: Millivolts are used in low-power electronic devices and circuits, such as sensors and microcontrollers.

Medical Devices: ECG (electrocardiogram) machines measure the electrical activity of the heart in millivolts.

Instrumentation: Precision instruments like voltmeters and oscilloscopes often measure voltages in millivolts to provide detailed readings.

Signal Processing: In audio and radio frequency engineering, signal strengths are often measured in millivolts.

dBm (deciBel-milliwatt)

dBm (decibel-milliwatts) is a unit of power measurement that expresses power levels relative to one milliwatt (mW). It is widely used in telecommunications, radio frequency (RF) engineering, and audio engineering to quantify signal strength and power levels.

Definition:

dBm is a logarithmic unit that quantifies power levels relative to a reference power of 1 milliwatt (mW).

The formula to convert power in milliwatts (mW) to dBm is: PdBm​=10*Log10​(PmW​)

Applications:

  1. Telecommunications:
    • dBm is used to measure signal strength in wireless communication systems such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular networks.
    • It helps in determining the quality of the signal received by a device and in optimizing network coverage.
  2. RF Engineering:
    • In RF engineering, dBm is used to measure the output power of transmitters and the received signal strength.
    • It aids in designing and troubleshooting RF circuits and systems.
  3. Audio Engineering:
    • dBm can also be used in audio engineering to measure the power of audio signals, especially in professional audio equipment.

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