What Is the Shannon-Hartley Channel Capacity & Spectral Efficiency Calculator?
The Shannon-Hartley theorem determines the maximum rate at which information can be transmitted over a specified bandwidth in the presence of noise.
How Does the Shannon-Hartley Channel Capacity & Spectral Efficiency Calculator Work?
Converts dB SNR to linear power ratio and evaluates the logarithmic sphere-packing bound of received signal vectors.
Shannon-Hartley Channel Capacity & Spectral Efficiency Calculator Formula & Variables
The core mathematical equation utilized by this calculator is expressed as:
C = B log_2left(1 + ext{SNR}_{ ext{linear}}
ight), quad ext{Spectral Efficiency} = rac{C}{B}
Shannon capacity limit for additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels.
How to Use the Shannon-Hartley Channel Capacity & Spectral Efficiency Calculator
- Input channel bandwidth in MHz and signal-to-noise ratio in decibels.
Step-by-Step Example Calculation
40 MHz LTE / 5G Channel at 25 dB SNR
Input Values:
bandwidthMhz:40
snrDb:25
Worked Steps: Channel capacity C = 332.3 Mbps with spectral efficiency of 8.31 bps/Hz.
Understanding Your Result
Outputs theoretical maximum throughput (Mbps) and spectral efficiency in bits per second per Hertz.
Factors That Affect the Result
- Multipath fading, interference from neighboring cells, and non-Gaussian phase noise degrade practical capacity.
When Should You Use This Calculator?
- Benchmarking modern modulation schemes (QAM-256 vs QAM-1024), 5G NR link adaptation, and satellite transponder sizing.
Assumptions & Limitations
- Assumes ideal AWGN channel and unconstrained coding block lengths without latency limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Calculation Accuracy & Reference Note
Fundamental mathematical theorem of information theory.