Zigbee Link Budget & Range Calculator | RF Formula

A reliable Zigbee wireless link depends on how much signal power reaches the receiver after accounting for all gains and losses. This is quantified using a link budget, which is essential for estimating communication range. The Zigbee Link Budget & Range Calculator helps engineers predict coverage and ensure robust connectivity.

What Is a Link Budget?

A link budget is a balance between transmit power, antenna gains, path loss, receiver sensitivity and system losses

• If the received signal power exceeds the receiver sensitivity, communication is possible.

Zigbee Link Budget & Range Calculator

INPUTS:

• Transmit Power (Ptx) = 0 dBm
• Transmit Antenna Gain (Gtx) = 2 dBi
• Receive Antenna Gain (Grx) = 2 dBi
• Receiver Sensitivity (Prx) = -100 dBm

OUTPUT:

• Link Budget (LB) = 104 dB
• Distance coverage (Free Space) = 1.58 Km

Note :

• Practical indoor Zigbee range : 10 to 100 m

Zigbee Link Budget and range formula

Following are equations used in this calculator. Equation-1 and Equation-4 are used for link budget and zigbee range calculations.

Following parameters are used in the equations.

• d = Distance or range of Zigbee in Km
• f = Operating frequency in GHz (For Zigbee , 2.4 GHz is used).
• Ptx = Transmit power
• Gtx = Transmit Antenna Gain
• Grx = Receive Antenna Gain
• Prx = Receiver Sensitivity
• FSPL = Free Space Path Loss

Why Link Budget Is Important in Zigbee

• Network coverage planning
• Node placement optimization
• Interference mitigation
• Regulatory compliance

Conclusion: Performing a link budget calculation is essential for achieving robust and predictable Zigbee connectivity.

References

• T. S. Rappaport, Wireless Communications, Prentice Hall, 2002
• IEEE Std 802.15.4-2020