| Deutsche Version |
Calculation of the damping factor DF
Zout is the source impedance Z2 (internal impedance) or the output impedance of the first audio device
and Zin is the load impedance Z1 (external impedance) or the input impedance of the following device.
Voltage bridging: Z1 >> Z2 or Zin >> Zout or Zload >> Zsource or Z1 >> Z2 in the audio world
Power matching: Z1 = Z2 or Zin = Zout or Zload = Zsource or Z1 = Z2 in the radio frequency world

Interconnection of two audio units equals a circuit of a voltage divider − Z2 << Z1.

Attention: The numbering of the impedances is inversely to the resistors of a voltage divider.

Even in the sound studio the voltage bridging Z1 > Z2 will bring a level drop, depending
on the difference between Z1 (Zin) and Z2 (Zout) with the bridging factor:
.
Calculation of level damping (bridging):
in dB.
Calculation of the damping factor:
. Bridging factor is not damping factor.
Different names of the two impedances Z1 and Z2

| If the load impedance is 10 times or more the source impedance, this is called a "bridging" impedance. It results in maximum VOLTAGE transfer from the source to the load. If the load impedance equals the source impedance, this is called a "matching" impedance. It results in maximum POWER transfer from the source to the load. In the audio world we are happy with the maximum voltage transfer. But we are often confronted with storytellers telling us the myth of power matching. Never believe that. |
The two impedances Z1 and Z2 at one device

Calculations: voltage divider (potentiometer)
damping pad - loaded and open circuit (unloaded)
Voltage Bridging - Interconnection of two units - Signal Loss
The damping factor is usually given as numerical value, but also in decibels.
| Enter a value in the left or right box, then press the TAB bar or make a mouse click at an empty space at the side, to get the solution. The calculator works in both directions of the ↔ sign. |
Calculation of the damping factor.
|
How do I calculate the damping factor DF for example, at 1 kHz, if neither the impedance of the source Z2 nor the impedance of the load Z1 is known? Allow the source to send out of a 1 kHz sine tone and measure the resulting voltage V0 at the output without any load. Then measure at this point the voltage VL, when the load is applied. The damping factor is: (V0 − VL) is the voltage drop by the connected load. |
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