Net gain
Encyclopedia
In telecommunications, net gain is the overall gain
of a transmission
circuit
.
Net gain is measured by applying a test signal at an appropriate power
level (see Note 5) at the input port
of a circuit and measuring the power delivered at the output
port. The net gain in dB
is calculated by taking 10 times the common logarithm
of the ratio of the output power to the input power.
The net gain expressed in dB may be positive or negative. If the net gain expressed in dB is negative, it is also called the "net loss". If the net gain is expressed as a ratio, and the ratio is less than unity, a net loss is indicated.
The test signal must be chosen so that its power level is within the usual operating range of the circuit being tested.
Gain
In electronics, gain is a measure of the ability of a circuit to increase the power or amplitude of a signal from the input to the output. It is usually defined as the mean ratio of the signal output of a system to the signal input of the same system. It may also be defined on a logarithmic scale,...
of a transmission
Transmission (telecommunications)
Transmission, in telecommunications, is the process of sending, propagating and receiving an analogue or digital information signal over a physical point-to-point or point-to-multipoint transmission medium, either wired, optical fiber or wireless...
circuit
Telecommunication circuit
A telecommunication circuit is any line, conductor, or other conduit by which information is transmitted.A dedicated circuit, private circuit, or leased line is a line that is dedicated to only one use...
.
Net gain is measured by applying a test signal at an appropriate power
Power (physics)
In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...
level (see Note 5) at the input port
Computer port (hardware)
In computer hardware, a port serves as an interface between the computer and other computers or peripheral devices. Physically, a port is a specialized outlet on a piece of equipment to which a plug or cable connects...
of a circuit and measuring the power delivered at the output
Output
Output is the term denoting either an exit or changes which exit a system and which activate/modify a process. It is an abstract concept, used in the modeling, system design and system exploitation.-In control theory:...
port. The net gain in dB
Decibel
The decibel is a logarithmic unit that indicates the ratio of a physical quantity relative to a specified or implied reference level. A ratio in decibels is ten times the logarithm to base 10 of the ratio of two power quantities...
is calculated by taking 10 times the common logarithm
Common logarithm
The common logarithm is the logarithm with base 10. It is also known as the decadic logarithm, named after its base. It is indicated by log10, or sometimes Log with a capital L...
of the ratio of the output power to the input power.
The net gain expressed in dB may be positive or negative. If the net gain expressed in dB is negative, it is also called the "net loss". If the net gain is expressed as a ratio, and the ratio is less than unity, a net loss is indicated.
The test signal must be chosen so that its power level is within the usual operating range of the circuit being tested.