The term ‘RMS’ (root-mean-square) is often
encountered in electronics publications. It is the value of
a voltage or current waveform, which results in the same power
being dissipated in a resistive load. For example, a 240V RMS
AC waveform, no matter what its shape, will cause the same power
dissipation in a resistor as 240Vdc.
The table below shows the relationship
between the RMS and average values for three common waveforms
for which the peak value is known. Multiplying the peak value
by the factors given in the table will yield the RMS and average
values.
Strictly speaking, the average value of a waveform,
which is symmetrical about the zero axis, is zero. However,
we often need to know the average of the absolute value of a
waveform, and this is the value, which the table factors will
yield.
Most test equipment does not directly measure
RMS values. Meters typically measure average values but are
scaled to provide the RMS value of a sine wave. Knowing this,
we can convert the indicated reading back to the average value
and then convert this to the true RMS value as long as we know
the shape of the measured waveform.
| Waveshape |
Multiplying factor to convert peak value to: |
| |
RMS |
Average |
| Sine |
0.707 |
0.637 |
| Square |
1 |
1 |
| Triangle/sawtooth |
0.577 |
0.5 |
| |
|
|
Conversions
| Angstroms/Nanometer |
10 |
| millimetres/inch |
25.4 |
| centimetres/foot |
30.48 |
| metres/yard |
0.914 |
| kilometres/mile |
1.609 |
| grams/ounce |
28.35 |
| kilograms/pound |
0.454 |
| litres/pints |
0.567 |
| litres/gallon |
4.54 |
| litres/cubic foot |
28.32 |
| Joules/Electron
Volt |
1.60210x10-19 |
| Watts/Horsepower |
746 |
| Coulombs/Amps Hour
|
3600 |
|
|
Temperature conversion
ºC = 5/9 ( ºF-32)
ºF = 32+9/5 ºC
|
|
Handy Constants
| Natural logarithm base |
e |
2.71828 |
| In (x)/log (x) |
|
2.3026 |
| Pi |
( |
3.14159265 |
| Pi (for Basic Programmers) |
ð |
4 x ATN |
| 0dBm |
|
1mW |
| 0dBm voltage in 600 ohms |
|
774.6mV |
| 0dBm voltage on 50 ohms |
|
223.6V |
| DBSPL reference level |
|
20uPa |
| Charge on electron |
e |
1.60210x10-19C |
| Absolute zero |
0K |
-273.16º C |
|
Speed of light in Vacuum |
c |
2.997925x108ms-1 |
| Speed of Sound |
|
|
-In air
@ 0 ºC |
|
331.6ms-1 |
-In air
@ 20 ºC |
|
343ms-1 |
-In fresh water
@ 20 ºC |
|
1481ms-1 |
-In sea water
@ 13 ºC |
|
1500ms-1 |
Density of air
@ 20 ºC p0 |
|
1.293kgm-3 |
Contrary to much popular usage, the decibel (dB) is
not actually a unit of any particular quantity, but rather an
expression of the ratio between two quantities, such as power,
voltage, current and acoustic pressure.
Many sensors, including our own ears respond to stimuli
in a logarithmic fashion, allowing them to detect a huge range
of intensities. As the dB compares the logarithms of quantities,
it agrees with our perceptive comparisons.
To calculate the ratio, in dB, of two power
levels, P1 and P2, the formula is:
dB = 10log (P1/P2)
If the quantities are voltages, currents
or sound pressure levels, X1 and X2, the formula becomes:
dB = 20log (X1/X2)
If the quantities X1 and X2 are both measured
in the same impedances, their dB ratio will be numerically equal
to the dB ratio of their equivalent powers. If their impedances
Z1 and Z2 are unequal, the dB ratio of their power can be found
from:
dB = 20log (X1/X2) + 10log (Z2/Z1)
Negative dB values result when P1 (or X1) is less than
P2 (or X2), while positive values indicate that P1 (or X1) is
greater than P2 (or X2). Although the dB is not an absolute
unit, certain absolute units using the dB scale have been devised.
These include dBuV, dBm and dBSPL. dBuV is a logarithmic expression
of a voltage compared to 1µV (microvolt). Thus 76dBµV is equivalent
to 6.31mV (millivolts). dBm is an expression of a power level
compared to 1mW (milliwatt). -20dBm is therefore equivalent
to 10µW. Furthermore, because the unit of power, 0dBm represents
775mV in a 600 Ohm impedance but 224mV in a 50 Ohm impedance.
dBSPL is a measure of sound pressure level.
Although usually referred to 20.4µPa (micropascals),
other reference levels may be specified. Using 20µPa as a reference,
1 Pascal equates to 93.8dBSPL.4 |
|
