PCOMMS LESSON 2 REVIEWER
I. Gain, Attenuation, and Decibels (2-1)
In electronic communication, circuits manipulate signals, resulting in either gain or attenuation.
Gain means amplification, where the output is greater than the input. The ratio is greater
than 1.
Attenuation refers to a loss introduced by a circuit, where the output signal is lower in
amplitude than the input. The attenuation ratio is less than 1.
Cascaded Circuits (stages connected together):
o The overall ratio (gain or attenuation) is the product of the individual circuit
ratios.
o The overall decibel (dB) value is the sum of the individual dB values.
The Decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit used to express the gain or loss of a circuit.
o A positive dB figure denotes a gain.
o A negative dB figure denotes attenuation.
Special dB Units:
o dBm: Calculated by comparing a power value to a reference of 1 mW.
o dBc: A decibel figure where the reference is the carrier.
II. Tuned Circuits and Resonance (2-2)
Tuned circuits (or resonant circuits) are frequency-selective and are made up of inductors () and
capacitors ().
Capacitive Reactance () is opposition to AC, inversely proportional to capacitance and
operating frequency.
Inductive Reactance () is opposition to AC, directly proportional to frequency and
inductance.
Resonance occurs when inductive and capacitive reactances are equal ().
Series Resonant Circuit: At , it has minimum impedance and maximum current.
Parallel Resonant Circuit (Tank Circuit): At , it appears to have infinite impedance and
acts as an open circuit. It sustains a high circulating (tank) current.
Bandwidth (BW): The narrow frequency range over which current (or response) is
highest. It is defined by the half-power points ( of the peak value).
Quality (): The ratio of inductive reactance to total circuit resistance. Bandwidth is
inversely proportional to .
Skin Effect: The tendency of electrons to flow near the outer surface of the conductor at
high frequencies, which increases the conductor's resistance.
III. Filters (2-3)
A filter is a frequency-selective circuit that passes certain frequencies and rejects others.
Five Basic Kinds: Low-pass, High-pass, Bandpass, Band-reject, and All-pass.
Passive Filters: Use and components that do not amplify.
Active Filters: Use amplifying devices (like op-amps) and networks to achieve filtering,
offering advantages like gain and no inductors.
Cutoff Frequency (): The point where resistance () and capacitive reactance () are equal
in an filter.
Design Characteristics (LC Filters):
o Butterworth: Maximum flatness in the passband.
o Chebyshev: Extremely good selectivity but has ripple in the passband.
o Bessel: Has a constant time delay in the passband.
Band-Reject Filters: Also called bandstop filters or traps, they reject a narrow band of
frequencies around a center/notch frequency.
SAW Filters (Surface Acoustic Wave): Special crystal filters used at very high radio
frequencies where selectivity is difficult to obtain.
IV. Fourier Theory (2-4)
Fourier analysis is used to determine the characteristics of non-sine wave signals.
Core Principle: A nonsinusoidal waveform can be broken down into individual,
harmonically related sine wave or cosine wave components.
Application: It allows us to determine sine-wave components in a complex signal and
calculate its bandwidth.
Time Domain: Analysis of amplitude variations with respect to time (e.g., viewing on an
oscilloscope).
Frequency Domain: Plots amplitude variations with respect to frequency.
Spectrum Analyzer: An instrument used to produce a frequency-domain display
SUMMARY OF FORMULAS
Formula Name Formula
Voltage/Current Gain in dB dB=20log(VinVout) or 20log(IinIout)
Power Gain in dB dB=10log(PinPout)
Capacitive Reactance Xc=1/2πfC
Inductive Reactance XL=6.28fL
Resonant Frequency fr=2πLC1
RC Cutoff Frequency fco=2πRC1
RL Cutoff Frequency (High-Pass) fco=2πLR
Notch Frequency (RC Notch Filter) fnotch=2πRC1
Bandwidth (BW) BW=f2−f1
Attenuator Voltage Output Vout=Vin(R1+R2R2)