Vpp to dBm Calculator

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This tool converts Peak-to-Peak Voltage to Power in both dBm and Watt.

Enter:

  • Vpeak-to-peak
  • Impedance

arrow dBm to Volt peak-to-peak

Formula

The formula to convert VPP to an equivalent power level in dBm is

PdBm = 10*Log10((1/Z)*(Vpp/(2√2))2)

As well, the peak voltage,

Vpp= 2*Vp

and the RMS voltage,

Vpp = (2√2)*VRMS

Background

The output level of an RF signal generator is typically specified in dBm. This might be used to drive a circuit with input limits specified in terms of peak-to-peak voltage.

Example Calculation

A clock reference circuit might state that the minimum level requirement is 1 Vpp. Use this tool to calculate the output power from the signal generator in dBm. Make sure you specify the input impedance which defaults to 50 ohm in the calculator above.

For a 50Ω system, if the desired input level is 1 Volt peak-to-peak, the signal generator output should be set to +4 dBm.

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