4

LOGARITHMIC UNITS
Introduction
In the field of broadcasting a vast range in the level of audio is handled. The
broadcast engineers have to handle very low level output from microphone to very
high level output from transmitter. To express these levels conveniently, we require
a scale or unit based on ratios rather than on the actual level in micro watts, milli
watts, kilowatts, etc.
The human ear responds not to the actual sound pressure but to the sound pressure
relative with the ambient sound pressure prevalent at that time. For example, the
movement of a leaf or a squeak of a mouse can be heard sharply in the night or in a
quiet room, but even a gun shot may be missed in a noisy situation.
Let us consider the following level changes in two different situations.

Initial level
Final level
Change in level

Case 1

Case 2

5 kW
2 kW
3 kW

1003 kW
1000 kW
3 kW

Even though the level change in both the cases is same, the change in level in case
1, from 5 kW to 2 kW is more significant than that of 1003 kW to 1000 kW in case 2.
In order to facilitate measurements, which take account of this phenomenon, a
system was introduced to allow power ratios to be expressed in a logarithmic
manner.

Bel and Decibel

Bel is defined as the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of the change in power level
for audio measurement.
P
Bel
= log10 2
P1

Where P1 and P2 are the powers being compared.

In practice, the unit Bel was found to be high. Hence the unit decibel was defined
which is equal to one tenth of a Bel.
Decibel

10 log10

P2
P1

The Decibel is called as dB. Although dB was originally derived for audio, the dB unit
is commonly used for R.F. Signal also. Change in audio power of 1 dB is barely
noticeable. However some people can notice a change of 2 dB.
A positive (+) sign indicates that P2 is greater than P1 and it may be stated as P2 is
so many dB above P1. A negative (-) sign indicates that P2 is less than P1 and it
may be stated as P2 is so many dB below P1.
0 dB indicates that P2 is equal to P1 .
The advantages of calculating power ratios by the dB method is clearly demonstrated
by the following example :
The power output of a particular microphone is

1
of a milli watt.
10000000

This signal is then amplified to 1 kilowatt power. The system gain expressed as an
arithmetical ratio is 10000 000 000 000 = 1013. Expressed in the decibel notation this
becomes 130 dB. The microphone power output could be stated as 70 dB relative
to 1 mw and the audio power output as +60 dB relative to 1 mw.
dB is used only to indicate Gain or Loss in a system like amplifier or attenuator
respectively.

Reference levels
The dB may be used to indicate absolute power provided that the reference level is
known. Without a reference level power expressed in dB is meaningless.
A reference level of 1 milliwatt is widely used and accepted internationally. Using this
as reference level a power of 1 watt may be specified as :
a)
b)
c)

+ 30 dB (Reference level 1 milli watt)

+ 30 dB ( 0 dB = 1 mw)
+ 30 dBm
(dBm indicates a power expressed in dB with a reference level of 1 mw).

In Broadcasting, 1 Watt is generally expressed as +30 dBm.

Decibel Problems
Example 1. The input power to an audio amplifier is 5 milliwatts. The amplifier
delivers an output of 5 watts to its load. What is the amplifier gain ?

The gain of the amplifier in dB is

dB

10 log10

10 log10

P2
P1

5000mW
5 mW
10 x 3.000

5W
5mW

10 log10

10 log10 1000

30 dB

Logarithmic Units

In this example there is a gain, hence it can be expressed as +30 dB.

Example 2. A monitoring amplifier has a gain of 50 dB. Its power output is 5 watts.
What is the input power ?

dB

hence

50
10

50,

P2

50

10 log10

= log10

5 watts
5
P1

5
5
, or P1 =
Watts
P1
10 5

Hence, input power = 0.05 mw.

Example 3 : Input to the FEC is about 79 dBm, the output is 5 dBm. The Gain of
the system is 5 (-79) = - 5 + 79 = 74 dB.

A control room amplifier is delivering one watt to a monitoring speaker. The output
power is increased to two watts. In describing this increase, it could be stated that
the amplifier output power has been increased by one watt. This statement could
however be misleading if the original power output had not been stated. A more
satisfactory way of expressing the change would be to state that the power output of
the amplifier has been increased by 3 dB. This value is calculated as shown in the
example below :dB

=
=
=

10 log (2/1) = 10 log 2

10 x 0.3010
3.01 dB

It can also be stated that the power has been increased by + 3 dB.
If the power output had been decreased from two watts to one watt it would be a
change of 3.01 dB. (Refer to example 4 for a decrease in power output).
In any case where the power is altered by a factor of 2.0 the change in level will
correspond to 3 dB.
Example 4 : The power supplied to a sound programme line is 6 mw. The power at
the receiving end of the line is 4 mw. What is the line attenuation?

dB = 10 log10
=
=

P2
P1

= 10 log10

4
6

10 log (0.666) = 10(1.8235) = -10+8.235

-1.7 dB

The negative value confirms that there is an overall loss in the circuit, the attenuation
being 1.7 dB. An alternative method of solving this type of problem in which a
negative dB quantity is involved is to make the larger power value the numerator or
use an electronic calculator. This simplifies the mathematical working and there is
less chance of any error being made.

Method (2)
dB = 10 log10

=
=

P2
P1

= 10 log10

10 log 1.5
10 x 0.1761

6
4

1.761

As the larger power is the input power and the smaller power the output power the
result obtained obviously represents a loss. Correctly expressed answer is
dB loss

1.761

Example 5 : A microphone delivers 3 milli volt to a 50 ohm load at the input of an

amplifier. The amplifier produces an output power of 6 mW into a 600 ohm load.
What is the gain of the amplifier in dB ?

Input power,

=
=

P1 =

(0.003 ) 2
50

0.00000018 Watts
0.00018 milli watts

dB = 10 log10
=

E12
R1

P2
P1

= 10 log10

10 x 4.5228

6
0.00018
45.228

Therefore the amplifier gain is approximately 45 dB.

Voltage or Current Ratios

It is often more practical to measure the voltage or current rather than the power
dissipated in a circuit. The decibel may also be used to express voltage or current
ratios although this method is still based on power ratios. The power dissipated in a
circuit is equal to :
E2
= I2R
R
Therefore, whenever the decibel ralation between two voltages (or currents) is
required, the following formula may be employed.
P =

dB = 10 log10

P2
P1

= 10 log10

= 20 log10

E2
E1

+ 10 log10

E 22 / R 2
E12 / R1
R1
R2

............(1)

Logarithmic Units

Alternatively

dB = 10 log10
= 20 log10

P2
P1
I2
I1

= 10 log10
+ 10 log10

I 22 R2
I 12 R1

R2
R1

............(2)

Where P = Power, E = Voltage, I = Current and R = Resistance in the circuit.

In cases where R, in the above expressions, is not purely resistive then the true
power must be calculated by including information on the phase angle of the circuit.
Equation (2) would then becomes

dB = 10 log10

I22R 2 Cos 2
I12R1Cos1

Where 1 and 2 are the phase angles.

If the values of R1 and R2 are equal then equations (1) and (2) may be simplified in
the following manner :

dB = 10 log10

= 20 log10

E 22 / R 2
E12 / R1

E2
' when R1 = R 2
E1

= 20 log10

E2
E1

........(3)

OR
dB = 10 log10

= 20 log10

I22R 2
I12R1
I2
when R1 = R 2
I1

= 20 log10

I2
I1

.........(4)

Equation (3) and (4) may be used to solve many decibel problems if the two
impedances are equal.
The power that is dissipated by resistance is equal to
P =

E2
= I2R
R

If the voltage (E) or the current (I) is doubled the power (P) dissipated by the
resistance (R) will be increased by 4 times.
A power ratio as 4:1 corresponds to a 6 dB change and so it must also follow that a
2:1 change of either voltage or current will also correspond to a 6 dB change in level.

That is if there is a change of voltage or current by 2 times the corresponding change

in dB is 6 dB.
Example 6 : The input impedance and output impedance of an amplifier is equal in
value. A tone signal of 0.1 volt produces an output voltage of 50 volts. What is the
gain of the amplifier in dB ?

dB = 20 log10

Gain

E2
E1

= 20 log10

20 log10 500

+53.980

50
0.1

20 x 2.699

53.980

Example 7 : A current of 1 mA flows in the input circuit of an amplifier and 25 mA

flows in the output circuit. The input and output resistances are equal in value.
Calculate the gain.

dB = 20 log10
=

I2
I1

20 x 1.397

20 log10 25
=

27.9

Gain

+27.9

In case the input and output impedances are not equal, the actual values of R1 and
R2 must be known and included in the formula as previously explained.
Example 8 : The voltage across a monitor speaker is 2.5 volts. The gain of the
monitor amplifier is increased and the voltage across the speaker now becomes 4.5
volts. Calculate the increase in amplifier gain.
E
4.5
= 20 log10
=
20 log10 1.8
dB =
20 log10 2
E1
2.5

20 x 0.2553

5.1

Gain

+5.1

Example 9 : The voltage measured across the input terminals of a sound programme
line is 1.5 volt. The output voltage measured across the line at the receiving end is
1.2 volts. Calculate gain or loss.

The output is less than the input, hence there is a loss in the circuit.
attenuation in dB is calculated as follows ;

dB = 20 log10

E2
E1

= 20 log10

1. 2
1.5

20 log10 0.8

20 x 1.903

20( 1 + 0.903)

20 + 18.060

1.94

The line

Logarithmic Units

Alternatively the loss may be calculated as detailed below :dB

20 log 1.5/1.2 =

20 log 1.25

20 x 0.0969

1.9382 dB

Hence the loss

1.9382 dB

Example 10. In TVRO, the signal received at the parabolic dish antenna is about 120 dBm. Let us find out the equivalent power.

dB = 10 log10

P2
P1

120 =

10 log10

P2
P1

120 =

10 log10

1 mW
P2

120
10

log10

1 mW
P2

Taking anti log,

P2

=
=

1 mW
P2

1mW
1x1012
10 15 Watts.

12

1 x 1012
=

1x10 12 mW

STANDARD REFERENCE LEVELS USED IN BROADCASTING

1.

dBm : Power in dB up or down with respect to 1 milli-watt of power that is

0.774 volt across 600 ohms. It is used in broadcasting industries, and 1 milli
watt of power is taken as reference level.

0 dBm means the power measured is 1 milli-watt across 600 ohms.

-45 dBm means the power measured is 45 dB below the reference level of 0
dBm that is 3.162 x 10-5 milliwatt across 600 ohms or 4.3 millivolt across 600
ohms.
2.

dBu : 0.7746 volts is taken as the reference level and the voltage can be
measured across any impedance. It need not be measured always across
600 ohms. Note the difference is only philosophical. The dBu unit has
exactly the same magnitude of voltage as in dBm if the measurement is made

across a 600 ohms circuits. Otherwise it will have different values. In AIR
and DD this unit is used in Meltron/Keltron Audio Consoles.
+8 dBu means the voltage is 1.946 volts or 8 dB above the reference level of
0.7746 volt.
-4 dBu means the measured voltage is 4 dB down with reference to 0.7746
volt or the measured voltage is 0.4887 volt. The impedance in both the cases
may be any value or 600 ohms.
The output of a monitoring amplifier is 8 watts. It can be expressed as +39
dBu. Similarly a 10 watt output can be stated as +40 dBu.
3.

dBw : 1 watt of power is taken as reference power. It is used when the

amount of power involved is high. The EIRP of transmitter used in satellite
communication is usually expressed in dBw.

For example, a 10 kW power of a transmitter is connected to a cable of loss 3

dB and an antenna of Gain 10 dB. The power output from the antenna to the
space is calculated as below :
Input power to the cable

10 kW

Loss in the cable

3 dB

Output from the cable

5 kW

Gain of the Antenna

10 dB

Output from antenna or EIRP =

50 kW

4.

dBv : When the reference level is taken as 1 micro volt the unit is called as
dBv.

5.

DBv/m : when reference level is taken as 1 micro volt per meter, the unit is
called dB v/m. This unit is used in field strength measurements.

DBv/m

20 log10 v/m

Example
i)

Convert 17 v/m to dBv/m

dBv/m

17 v/m
ii)

20 log1017v/m

20 x 1.23 = 24.6

24.6 dBv/m

Convert 18 dBv/m into v/m

v/m

18 dBv/m

=
=
=

Anti log 18/20

Anti log 0.9 = 7.94
7.94 m

Logarithmic Units

6.

dBk : When the reference level is taken as 1 kilowatt (kW) the unit is called
dBk. This unit is used in high power calculation. Any level that is above 1 kW
is expressed as +(x) dBk and any level that is below 1 kW is expressed as
(x) dBk.

To convert power in watts to dBk, use the following formula.

dBk

10 (log P-3) where P is in watts.

Example :

Convert 500 W to dBk

dBk

10 (log P-3)

10(log 500-3)

10(2.7-3)

27-30

-3 dBk

To convert from dBk to watts, use the formula

anti log (

dBk
+3)
10

P(Watts)

Example :

Convert 2 dBk to watts.

P watts

=
=
=
=

antilog(-2/10 +3)
antilog (-0.2 +3)
antilog (+2.8)
631 watt.

In FM transmitter of AIR and TV Transmitters the impedance is 50 ohms.

However the measurements are being made in dBm. Here also the reference
level is 1 milli watts of power measured across 50 ohms, hence the reference
level of voltage is 0.2236 volts. This voltage being R.M.S. the corresponding
Peak to Peak voltage is 0.2236 x 2 x 2 = 0.6324 volts. Hence 0 dBm in RF
corresponds to 0.2236 volts r.m.s. or 0.6324 volts Peak to peak across 50
ohms.
Example : The output level of FEC is 5 dBm across 50 ohms. Hence 5
dBm corresponds to 0.316 milli watts or 0.1257 volts r.m.s. across 50 ohms.
This is equal to 0.3555 volts Peak to Peak which can be measured using an
Oscilloscope.