Optical Power Unit Converter (dBm ↔ mW / µW)
Convert optical signal strength measurements between logarithmic decibel-milliwatts (dBm) and linear power values (milliwatts mW / microwatts µW) for fiber transceivers and optical power meters.
Optical Power Converter (dBm ↔ mW)
Convert optical power measurements between decibel-milliwatts (dBm) and milliwatts (mW) in real-time.
Optical Power Reference Scale
Standard baseline decibel scales for telecom interfaces.
| Power (dBm) | Power (mW) | Description / Context |
|---|---|---|
| +20 dBm | 100 mW | High power laser transmitters / long haul booster output. |
| +10 dBm | 10 mW | Common launch power for CATV optical transmitters. |
| 0 dBm | 1.0 mW | Reference baseline level. Standard launch target for short-reach modules. |
| -3 dBm | 0.5 mW | 50% power loss (Half-power point). |
| -10 dBm | 0.1 mW | Typical minimum power required for high-speed fiber transceivers (10G+). |
| -20 dBm | 0.01 mW (10 µW) | Standard receiver sensitivity lower boundary for Gigabit Ethernet. |
| -30 dBm | 0.001 mW (1 µW) | High sensitivity receiver limit (long-reach SM). Below this is dark fiber. |
Optical Power Conversion Mathematics
Optical power levels in fiber communications are expressed in logarithmic decibel-milliwatts (dBm) relative to a 1.0 milliwatt reference point.
Conversion Formulas
- dBm from mW:
P(dBm) = 10 × log10(P(mW)) - mW from dBm:
P(mW) = 10 ^ (P(dBm) / 10) - Rules of Thumb: +3 dB doubles the linear power (2x); -3 dB halves the power (0.5x); +10 dB is a 10x increase; -10 dB is a 10x decrease.