LORA / LORAWAN TUTORIAL 8
Link Budget & Link Margin
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ANT
ANT
Tx radio
cable
path loss
cable
Rx radio
v1.0.1
INTRO
• In this tutorial I will explain what link budgets, maximum link budgets and link margins
are.
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MODULATION & DEMODULATION
• If an input signal (=message) is imposed onto a carrier signal this process is called
modulation. The modulated signal is broadcasted to the receiver.
• Demodulation is the opposite, where the original signal (= message) is recovered from
the modulated carrier wave.
ANT
ANT
message
Tx radio
cable
modulated
carrier wave
cable
Rx radio
message
carrier wave
sender
receiver
LINK BUDGET AND LINK MARGIN
ANT
ANT
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gain
loss
Tx radio
cable
path loss
cable
Rx radio
+20dBm
+10dBi
-5dB
)
m
B
d
(
r
e
w
o
P
+12dBi
-115dB
-2dB
Rx power or RSSI
Link margin
Rx sensitivity
Distance
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LINK BUDGET AND LINK MARGIN
• A link budget is the sum of all of the gains and losses from the transmitter, through the
medium (aka free space), to the receiver in a telecommunication system.
It is a way of quantifying the link performance.
• Transmitter:The radio transmitter value must be specified in dbm, otherwise you do
not know its absolute value.
• Gains: Antenna (Unit: dbi)
• Losses: cables, connectors, signal propagating thru the medium (Unit: db)
• When a signal propagates thru the medium, the signal loses strength.
This is called the path loss or path attenuation.
LINK BUDGET AND LINK MARGIN
ANT
ANT
mobilefish.com
gain
loss
Tx radio
cable
path loss
cable
Rx radio
+20dBm
+10dBi
-5dB
)
m
B
d
(
r
e
w
o
P
+12dBi
-115dB
-2dB
Rx power or RSSI
Link margin
Rx sensitivity
Distance
mobilefish.com
LINK BUDGET AND LINK MARGIN
• A simple link budget equation looks like this:
Received Power = Transmitted Power + Gains − Losses
For example: Received Power = 20 - 5 + 10 - 115 + 12 - 2 = -80 dBm
• The receiver sensitivity is the lowest power level at which receiver can receive or
demodulate the signal.
For example: Receiver sensitivity = -90 dBm
• The link margin is the difference between the received power and receiver sensitivity.
Link margin = Received power - Receiver sensitivity
Link margin in dBm
Received power in dBm
Receiver sensitivity in dBm
LINK BUDGET AND LINK MARGIN
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ANT
Example:
Link margin = Received power - Receiver sensitivity
cable
Rx radio
Received power = -80dBm
Receiver sensitivity = -90dBm
Link margin = -80 - (-90) = 10 dBm = 10 mW
Rx power or RSSI
margin
Rx sensitivity