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Calcimator

Optical Power Budget Calculator

Calculate optical link power budget from transmitter power, receiver sensitivity, link loss, and safety margin. Includes overload check.

Inputs

dBm
dBm
dBm
dB
dB

Results

Available Power Budget

20 dB

Remaining Margin

9 dB

Received Power

-11 dBm

Required Power Budget11 dB
Link Viable (1=Yes)1
Overload Safe (1=Yes)1
Attenuator Needed0 dB
Max Allowable Loss17 dB
Max Distance (SM 1310)44.29 km
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Transmitter Power (dBm) and Receiver Sensitivity (dBm) from the transceiver data sheet.
  2. Set Receiver Overload (dBm) — the maximum input power the receiver can tolerate without damage.
  3. Enter Total Link Loss (dB) — use the Fiber Optic Loss Budget calculator to compute this.
  4. Set your required Safety Margin (dB) — 3 dB is the industry minimum.
  5. Review Available Power Budget, Remaining Margin (dB), Received Power (dBm), and Link Viable — a margin below 0 means the link will not work.

How the result changes with Receiver Sensitivity

Receiver SensitivityAvailable Power BudgetRemaining MarginReceived Power
-3633 dB22 dB-11 dBm
-2623 dB12 dB-11 dBm
-1411 dB0 dB-11 dBm
-41 dB-10 dB-11 dBm

What each input means

Transmitter Power
Optical transmitter output power (typical SFP: -9 to 0 dBm)
Receiver Sensitivity
Minimum optical power for reliable reception (from transceiver spec)
Receiver Overload
Maximum optical power the receiver can handle without damage
Total Link Loss
Total loss from fiber, connectors, splices, and splitters (use loss budget calculator)
Safety Margin
Additional margin for aging, temperature, and repairs (3 dB typical)

How this is calculated

Formula

Available Budget = Tx Power - Rx Sensitivity; Margin = Budget - Loss - Safety

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Transmitter Power = -3, Receiver Sensitivity = -23, Receiver Overload = -3, Total Link Loss = 8 = 5 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Available Power Budget
    Available Power Budget
    20 = 20
  3. Calculate Remaining Margin
    Remaining Margin
    9 = 9
  4. Calculate Received Power
    Received Power
    -11 = -11
  5. Calculate Required Power Budget
    Required Power Budget
    11 = 11
  6. Calculate Link Viable
    Link Viable
    1 = 1

Engine last updated . Checked against 4 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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