Second interactive lecture of Topic 4:

Noise temperature, antenna gains, Friis

formula and link budget
March 3, 2022
Katsuyuki Haneda
Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering
This lecture covers Pozar Chapters 14.1-3.
 First in-class exercise of Topic 4
• The input signal-to-noise ratio Si /Ni = 30 dB. What is the output signal-
to-noise ratio So /No in dB?

Room temperature T0 = 290 K

Si: input signal power Low noise amplifier
Ni: input noise power Te = 580 K: noise temperature So: output signal power
TA = 150 K: input Ge = 20 dB gain No: output noise power
noise temperature Fe = 4.77 dB noise figure

Pozar Example 10.2

 Noise temperature of a receiver
• The first component at the RF front-end is most influential to total noise
of the receiver.
– We therefore use “low-noise” amplifier in the receiver.

𝑁𝑁𝑖𝑖 𝐺𝐺1 𝑁𝑁1 𝐺𝐺2 𝑁𝑁𝑜𝑜

𝐹𝐹1 𝐹𝐹2
𝑇𝑇0 𝑇𝑇𝑒𝑒𝑒 𝑇𝑇𝑒𝑒𝑒

𝑇𝑇𝑒𝑒𝑒
𝑇𝑇𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 = 𝑇𝑇𝑒𝑒𝑒 +
𝐺𝐺1
Pozar Chapter 10.2
Q0: There is a low noise amplifier of the following input, output and
component parameters. Choose an incorrect formula or explanation.
Choose 5. if you do not know what to choose.
Room temperature T0 = 290 K
Si: input signal power Low noise amplifier
Ni: input noise power Te = 580 K: noise temperature So: output signal power
TA = 150 K: input Ge = 20 dB gain No: output noise power
noise temperature Fe = 4.77 dB noise figure

1. in dB.
2. .
3. .
4. does not depend on Ge.
5. I do not know.
Pozar Example 10.2
 Second pre-task for Topic 4
Watch a YouTube video (https://youtu.be/x4yoGGUCZmM) and read Pozar Chapter 14.1
“System aspects of antennas”, keeping in mind the following questions. After watching
the video and reading the chapter, answer the questions.
1. Where does this mentioned noise floor of -174 dBm/Hz come from?
2. Why the noise temperature of the antenna in the video is 150K? What is the
corresponding noise floor (dBm/Hz)?
3. What happens to the noise floor if we point the directive antenna to the sky?
4. How would the situation change if the radiation pattern of the antenna was non-
directive, i.e., omnidirectional?
 Background noise temperature
Pozar, Ch. 14, pp. 668.
Q1: Choose an incorrect explanation about noise temperature.
Choose 5. if you do not know what to choose.

1. When efficiency of the antenna is 1, the antenna noise temperature is averaged

background noise temperature.
2. Antenna noise temperature is always around 290 K in a room temperature.
3. When the efficiency of the antenna is 0, antenna noise temperature is
temperature of the antenna.
4. Background noise temperature peaks at 22 and 60 GHz, where water and oxygen
absorption presents.
5. I do not know which explanation is incorrect.
 Antenna gains
• … are normalized radiated power density wrt that of an isotropic antenna
𝑆𝑆AUT
𝐺𝐺(𝜑𝜑, 𝜃𝜃) =
𝑆𝑆iso
Reference: isotropic antenna with the
same efficiency as antenna under test Antenna under test
z 1 m2 z 1 m2
Power density Power density
[W/m2] [W/m2]
θ 𝑃𝑃feed
θ 𝑆𝑆AUT
R 𝑆𝑆iso = R 𝑃𝑃feed
O 4𝜋𝜋𝑅𝑅2 O = 𝐺𝐺(𝜑𝜑, 𝜃𝜃)
4𝜋𝜋𝑅𝑅2
φ φ
x y x y
Q2: Choose a side to the following statement; choose 3. if you do not know
which side to choose.

Statement: an antenna amplifies the total signal power (unit in Watt)

inputted to a feed port, when it has a gain (unit in dBi).

1. The statement is correct.

2. The statement is incorrect.
3. I do not know which side to choose.
 Antenna gains
• … are normalized radiated power density wrt that of an isotropic antenna
– And hence it is often quantified in dBi scale
𝑆𝑆AUT
– Gain does NOT mean amplification of total power [W] at an antenna. 𝐺𝐺(𝜑𝜑, 𝜃𝜃) =
• Total radiated power = power accepted by a lossless antenna. 𝑆𝑆iso

Reference: isotropic antenna with the

same efficiency as antenna under test Antenna under test
z 1 m2 z 1 m2
Power density Power density
[W/m2] [W/m2]
θ 𝑃𝑃feed
θ 𝑆𝑆AUT
R 𝑆𝑆iso = R 𝑃𝑃feed
O 4𝜋𝜋𝑅𝑅2 O = 𝐺𝐺(𝜑𝜑, 𝜃𝜃)
4𝜋𝜋𝑅𝑅2
φ φ
x y x y
 Antenna gains
• Which distance r to measure and define the antenna gains?
𝑆𝑆AUT 2𝐷𝐷2
𝐺𝐺(𝜑𝜑, 𝜃𝜃, 𝑟𝑟) = 𝑟𝑟 > Observation point
𝑆𝑆iso λ

l’ l

D
Antenna aperture
 Friis formula
z
Receive antenna
aperture

θ
R
O
φ

x y
Q3: Choose a side to the following statement; choose 3. if you do not know
which side to choose.

Statement: when an isotropic antenna radiates fields and a receive antenna

has a constant effective aperture size over the frequency such as ideal horn
antennas, the receiving power from the antenna port depends on the
frequency.

1. The statement is correct.

2. The statement is incorrect.
3. I do not know which side to choose.
Q4: Choose a side to the following statement; choose 3. if you do not know
which side to choose.

Statement: when an isotropic antenna radiates fields and a receive antenna

has a constant gain over the frequency such as dipoles, the receiving power
from the antenna port depends on the frequency.

1. The statement is correct.

2. The statement is incorrect.
3. I do not know which side to choose.
Q5: Choose a side to the following statement; choose 3. if you do not know
which side to choose.

Statement: Radio links operating at 28 GHz carrier frequency is inferior to

those at 2 GHz in receiving powers at a mobile, even if line-of-sight exists
between base and mobile stations.

1. The statement is correct.

2. The statement is incorrect.
3. I do not know which side to choose.
Friis formula in practice

W. Roh et al., IEEE Commun. Mag. Feb. 2014. 16

 Link budget analysis
Cellular mobile-to-infra link
(3.5GHz)
Power Radiated power
vs. In-to-out-of-body
-7 dBm link (400MHz)
level
@TRANSMITTER
Antenna gain -10 dBm input to
+3dBi antenna port

-10 dBm input to 100m wave 0.15m wave Antenna gain

antenna port propagation in air propagation in -14dBi
@TRANSMITTER + receive antenna colon + receive
gain = antenna gain = Radiated power
-73 dB -56 dB -24 dBm

Received power =
margin -80 dBm

margin
20 dB
20 dB @RECEIVER

Noise floor -100 dBm

(Here, we assume the same input power to the antenna, and the same noise floor at the receiver)

17
 Radar equation
• Scattering can be quantified by a radar cross section (RCS) 𝜎𝜎 [m2].

Distance 𝑅𝑅 Target
𝑅𝑅1 Target 𝑅𝑅2

Monostatic Bistatic
Tx and radar radar
Rx Tx Rx

Power density to Scattered power

Received power at the Rx
the target from the target
𝑃𝑃t 𝐺𝐺t 𝑃𝑃t 𝐺𝐺t 𝑃𝑃t 𝐺𝐺t 𝐺𝐺r λ 2
𝑆𝑆 = [W/m2],
𝑃𝑃s = 𝜎𝜎 [W], 𝑃𝑃r = 𝜎𝜎 [W]
4𝜋𝜋𝑅𝑅12 4𝜋𝜋𝑅𝑅12 4𝜋𝜋𝑅𝑅12 4𝜋𝜋𝑅𝑅2