Hi, I have a B200 mini that I use for monitoring purposes, and I need to install it near an RF transmitter. I'm concerned about the maximum input power the board can handle before it gets damaged. I understand that the B200 mini has a +0 dBm input power limit. However, does this limit apply only when the SDR is actively receiving samples, or is it also relevant when the board is inactive (i.e., not tuned to a specific frequency and not receiving samples)? The reason I ask is that I could disable the B200 mini's reception while the RF transmitter is active, as it doesn't transmit signals continuously. Thank you Emanuele

On 29/01/2025 05:38, emanuele.tolomei@intecs.it wrote: > > Hi, I have a B200 mini that I use for monitoring purposes, and I need > to install it near an RF transmitter. I'm concerned about the maximum > input power the board can handle before it gets damaged. > > I understand that the B200 mini has a +0 dBm input power limit. > However, does this limit apply only when the SDR is actively receiving > samples, or is it also relevant when the board is inactive (i.e., not > tuned to a specific frequency and not receiving samples)? > > The reason I ask is that I could disable the B200 mini's reception > while the RF transmitter is active, as it doesn't transmit signals > continuously. > > Thank you > > Emanuele > > Small-signal amplifiers are sensitive to damage, even when powered-off (the details matter, but in general, this is the case). If the field strengths are going to be high enough that you're worried about this, the best approach is to use an RF relay that   switches the RX input to a matched terminator (or even a short circuit) when the transmitter is operating.