PHY & Radio

RX Sensitivity

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Minimum signal level (in dBm) a receiver can detect. Lower values (e.g. -105 dBm) indicate better sensitivity and longer range.

    


    
    
    

      Also known as:
      
      Receiver Sensitivity
      
    

    
  


  




  
  

    
RX Sensitivity


RX sensitivity (receiver sensitivity) is the minimum signal power, measured in dBm, that a BLE receiver can detect while maintaining an acceptable bit error rate (BER). Lower values indicate better sensitivity -- a receiver with -98 dBm sensitivity can decode weaker signals than one rated at -90 dBm, translating directly to longer communication range.


Specification Requirements


The Bluetooth Core Specification defines minimum receiver sensitivity requirements for each PHY:



These are minimum requirements at a BER of 10^-3. In practice, modern BLE SoCs far exceed these specifications. The nRF52840 achieves -95 dBm for LE 1M PHY and -103 dBm for LE Coded S=8, while the nRF5340 achieves -98 dBm for LE 1M PHY.



RX sensitivity directly determines the link budget of a BLE system. The link budget is calculated as TX Power (dBm) minus RX Sensitivity (dBm). A transmitter at +0 dBm and a receiver with -96 dBm sensitivity yields a 96 dB link budget. This budget must exceed the path loss between the two devices for communication to succeed. In free space, 96 dB of path loss corresponds to approximately 200 meters at 2.4 GHz.


Factors Affecting Sensitivity


Receiver sensitivity depends on the thermal noise floor, noise figure of the receiver front-end, and the required signal-to-noise ratio for the modulation scheme. PCB layout is critical -- poor ground plane design, inadequate antenna matching, or nearby switching regulators can raise the noise floor by 5--10 dB, effectively reducing range by 50% or more. Careful RF layout practices and proper impedance matching are essential.


Practical Implications


When selecting a BLE SoC for a range-sensitive application, RX sensitivity is often more impactful than TX power. Improving sensitivity by 6 dB doubles the range in free space, and unlike increasing TX power, better sensitivity does not increase power consumption. This is why high-performance chips invest heavily in RF front-end design and why datasheet sensitivity numbers are a key differentiator among BLE SoC vendors.

  

  

  
  
  




  
  
Related Terms

  

  

    
    TX Power
    
    RSSI
    
    Link Budget
    
  





  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

    
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Frequently Asked Questions


  

    
    

      
      

        
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