Abstract: Cable television systems are based on 75Ω interfaces, while most RF test equipment is 50Ωimpedance. This paper presents the needed conversions between power and voltage levels in the two environments. Two tables are provided for easy look-up of the appropriate conversion factor.
IntroductionCATV circuits operate in a 75Ω environment. Most RF laboratories equipped with standard test instruments employ 50Ω as the standard interface impedance.
dBmV and dBµVMost CATV measurements are referenced to voltage and measured in dBmV or dBµV. In the classic definition, dBmV is referenced to 1mVrms and output voltage (Vout) is measured in mVrms (EQN1). Since EQN1 is a ratio of voltage, it can also be measured in mVpp referenced to 1mVpp or any voltage unit as long as the same units are used.
Inspection of EQN1 shows dBmV to be independent of impedance.
In the classic definition, dBµV is referenced to 1µVrms and output voltage (Vout) is measured in µVrms (EQN2). Since EQN1 is a ratio of voltage, it can also be measured in µVpp referenced to 1µVpp or any voltage unit as long as the same units are used.
 Inspection of EQN1shows dBµV to be independent of impedance.
Conversion of dBm to dBmVdBm is defined in EQN3.
 Pout is measured in mW. The dBm is referenced to 1mW. EQN3 does depend on impedance of the load as shown in EQN4. Most RF equipment has a 50Ω load or input impedance. EQN3 is still valid for any load impedance including 75Ω.
Power depends on load impedance. EQN4 equates power to voltage and load impedance.
Rearranging terms,
Solving EQN3 for Pout,
Solving EQN1 for Vout,
Substituting EQN3.1 and EQN1.1 into EQN4.1,
Solving for dBmV in terms of dBm,
Using R = 50Ω,
EQN5.2 is valid for 50Ω measurement equipment
. Solving EQN5.1 using R = 75Ω,
EQN5.3 is valid for 75Ω measurement equipment.
Using the same technique it can be shown that the relationship for dBµV to dBmV is

Table 1 and Table 2 show conversions between dBmV, dBµV and dBm in a 50Ω and 75Ω environment.
Table 1. Conversions of Power 50 Ω
dBmV |
dBµV |
dBm 50Ω |
mVrms |
mW 50Ω |
8 |
68 |
-38.99 |
2.51 |
1.3E-04 |
9 |
69 |
-37.99 |
2.82 |
1.6E-04 |
10 |
70 |
-36.99 |
3.16 |
2.0E-04 |
11 |
71 |
-35.99 |
3.55 |
2.5E-04 |
12 |
72 |
-34.99 |
3.98 |
3.2E-04 |
13 |
73 |
-33.99 |
4.47 |
4.0E-04 |
14 |
74 |
-32.99 |
5.01 |
5.0E-04 |
15 |
75 |
-31.99 |
5.62 |
6.3E-04 |
16 |
76 |
-30.99 |
6.31 |
8.0E-04 |
17 |
77 |
-29.99 |
7.08 |
1.0E-03 |
18 |
78 |
-28.99 |
7.94 |
1.3E-03 |
19 |
79 |
-27.99 |
8.91 |
1.6E-03 |
20 |
80 |
-26.99 |
10.00 |
2.0E-03 |
21 |
81 |
-25.99 |
11.22 |
2.5E-03 |
22 |
82 |
-24.99 |
12.59 |
3.2E-03 |
23 |
83 |
-23.99 |
14.13 |
4.0E-03 |
24 |
84 |
-22.99 |
15.85 |
5.0E-03 |
25 |
85 |
-21.99 |
17.78 |
6.3E-03 |
26 |
86 |
-20.99 |
19.95 |
8.0E-03 |
27 |
87 |
-19.99 |
22.39 |
0.010 |
28 |
88 |
-18.99 |
25.12 |
0.013 |
29 |
89 |
-17.99 |
28.18 |
0.016 |
30 |
90 |
-16.99 |
31.62 |
0.020 |
31 |
91 |
-15.99 |
35.48 |
0.025 |
32 |
92 |
-14.99 |
39.81 |
0.032 |
33 |
93 |
-13.99 |
44.67 |
0.040 |
34 |
94 |
-12.99 |
50.12 |
0.050 |
35 |
95 |
-11.99 |
56.23 |
0.063 |
36 |
96 |
-10.99 |
63.10 |
0.080 |
37 |
97 |
-9.99 |
70.79 |
0.100 |
38 |
98 |
-8.99 |
79.43 |
0.126 |
39 |
99 |
-7.99 |
89.13 |
0.159 |
40 |
100 |
-6.99 |
100.00 |
0.200 |
41 |
101 |
-5.99 |
112.20 |
0.252 |
42 |
102 |
-4.99 |
125.89 |
0.317 |
43 |
103 |
-3.99 |
141.25 |
0.399 |
44 |
104 |
-2.99 |
158.49 |
0.502 |
45 |
105 |
-1.99 |
177.83 |
0.632 |
46 |
106 |
-0.99 |
199.53 |
0.796 |
47 |
107 |
0.01 |
223.87 |
1.002 |
48 |
108 |
1.01 |
251.19 |
1.262 |
49 |
109 |
2.01 |
281.84 |
1.589 |
50 |
110 |
3.01 |
316.23 |
2.000 |
51 |
111 |
4.01 |
354.81 |
2.518 |
52 |
112 |
5.01 |
398.11 |
3.170 |
53 |
113 |
6.01 |
446.68 |
3.991 |
54 |
114 |
7.01 |
501.19 |
5.024 |
55 |
115 |
8.01 |
562.34 |
6.325 |
56 |
116 |
9.01 |
630.96 |
7.962 |
57 |
117 |
10.01 |
707.95 |
10.024 |
58 |
118 |
11.01 |
794.33 |
12.619 |
59 |
119 |
12.01 |
891.25 |
15.887 |
60 |
120 |
13.01 |
1000.00 |
20.000 |
61 |
121 |
14.01 |
1122.02 |
25.179 |
62 |
122 |
15.01 |
1258.93 |
31.698 |
63 |
123 |
16.01 |
1412.54 |
39.905 |
64 |
124 |
17.01 |
1584.89 |
50.238 |
65 |
125 |
18.01 |
1778.28 |
63.246 |
66 |
126 |
19.01 |
1995.26 |
79.621 |
67 |
127 |
20.01 |
2238.72 |
100.237 |
68 |
128 |
21.01 |
2511.89 |
126.191 | Table 2. Conversions of Power 75 Ω
dBmV |
dBµV |
dBm 75Ω |
mVrms |
mW 75Ω |
8 |
68 |
-40.75 |
2.51 |
8.4E-05 |
9 |
69 |
-39.75 |
2.82 |
1.1E-04 |
10 |
70 |
-38.75 |
3.16 |
1.3E-04 |
11 |
71 |
-37.75 |
3.55 |
1.7E-04 |
12 |
72 |
-36.75 |
3.98 |
2.1E-04 |
13 |
73 |
-35.75 |
4.47 |
2.7E-04 |
14 |
74 |
-34.75 |
5.01 |
3.3E-04 |
15 |
75 |
-33.75 |
5.62 |
4.2E-04 |
16 |
76 |
-32.75 |
6.31 |
5.3E-04 |
17 |
77 |
-31.75 |
7.08 |
6.7E-04 |
18 |
78 |
-30.75 |
7.94 |
8.4E-04 |
19 |
79 |
-29.75 |
8.91 |
1.1E-03 |
20 |
80 |
-28.75 |
10.00 |
1.3E-03 |
21 |
81 |
-27.75 |
11.22 |
1.7E-03 |
22 |
82 |
-26.75 |
12.59 |
2.1E-03 |
23 |
83 |
-25.75 |
14.13 |
2.7E-03 |
24 |
84 |
-24.75 |
15.85 |
3.3E-03 |
25 |
85 |
-23.75 |
17.78 |
4.2E-03 |
26 |
86 |
-22.75 |
19.95 |
5.3E-03 |
27 |
87 |
-21.75 |
22.39 |
6.7E-03 |
28 |
88 |
-20.75 |
25.12 |
8.4E-03 |
29 |
89 |
-19.75 |
28.18 |
0.011 |
30 |
90 |
-18.75 |
31.62 |
0.013 |
31 |
91 |
-17.75 |
35.48 |
0.017 |
32 |
92 |
-16.75 |
39.81 |
0.021 |
33 |
93 |
-15.75 |
44.67 |
0.027 |
34 |
94 |
-14.75 |
50.12 |
0.033 |
35 |
95 |
-13.75 |
56.23 |
0.042 |
36 |
96 |
-12.75 |
63.10 |
0.053 |
37 |
97 |
-11.75 |
70.79 |
0.067 |
38 |
98 |
-10.75 |
79.43 |
0.084 |
39 |
99 |
-9.75 |
89.13 |
0.106 |
40 |
100 |
-8.75 |
100.00 |
0.133 |
41 |
101 |
-7.75 |
112.20 |
0.168 |
42 |
102 |
-6.75 |
125.89 |
0.211 |
43 |
103 |
-5.75 |
141.25 |
0.266 |
44 |
104 |
-4.75 |
158.49 |
0.335 |
45 |
105 |
-3.75 |
177.83 |
0.422 |
46 |
106 |
-2.75 |
199.53 |
0.531 |
47 |
107 |
-1.75 |
223.87 |
0.668 |
48 |
108 |
-0.75 |
251.19 |
0.841 |
49 |
109 |
0.25 |
281.84 |
1.059 |
50 |
110 |
1.25 |
316.23 |
1.333 |
51 |
111 |
2.25 |
354.81 |
1.679 |
52 |
112 |
3.25 |
398.11 |
2.113 |
53 |
113 |
4.25 |
446.68 |
2.660 |
54 |
114 |
5.25 |
501.19 |
3.349 |
55 |
115 |
6.25 |
562.34 |
4.216 |
56 |
116 |
7.25 |
630.96 |
5.308 |
57 |
117 |
8.25 |
707.95 |
6.683 |
58 |
118 |
9.25 |
794.33 |
8.413 |
59 |
119 |
10.25 |
891.25 |
10.591 |
60 |
120 |
11.25 |
1000.00 |
13.333 |
61 |
121 |
12.25 |
1122.02 |
16.786 |
62 |
122 |
13.25 |
1258.93 |
21.132 |
63 |
123 |
14.25 |
1412.54 |
26.604 |
64 |
124 |
15.25 |
1584.89 |
33.492 |
65 |
125 |
16.25 |
1778.28 |
42.164 |
66 |
126 |
17.25 |
1995.26 |
53.081 |
67 |
127 |
18.25 |
2238.72 |
66.825 |
68 |
128 |
19.25 |
2511.89 |
84.128 |
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