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Return Loss to Reflection Coefficient Converter

Convert between Return Loss (dB), S11 (dB), reflection coefficient |Γ|, VSWR, mismatch loss, and power reflected. Interactive calculator with formula reference.

Interactive Converter

Return Loss / S11 / Γ / VSWR Converter

Return Loss—
S11 (dB)—
|Γ| linear—
VSWR—
Mismatch Loss—
Power Reflected—
Power Transmitted—

Key Formulas

  Return Loss (dB) = −20·log₁₀|Γ|    [positive, higher = better]
  S11 (dB)         =  20·log₁₀|Γ|    [negative for passive]
  |Γ| = (VSWR − 1)/(VSWR + 1) = 10^(S11_dB/20) = 10^(−RL/20)
  VSWR = (1 + |Γ|)/(1 − |Γ|)
  ML = −10·log₁₀(1 − |Γ|²)  [mismatch loss in dB]
  P_reflected = |Γ|² × 100%
  P_transmitted = (1 − |Γ|²) × 100%

Industry Specification Conventions

What Spec SaysEquivalent Statements
"RL > 14 dB"S11 < −14 dB, |Γ| < 0.200, VSWR < 1.50
"S11 < −10 dB"RL > 10 dB, VSWR < 1.92
"VSWR < 2:1"S11 < −9.54 dB, RL > 9.54 dB, |Γ| < 0.333
RF View VSWR Calculator: Built into RF View Utilities tab — enter any one metric to compute all others instantly. Offline on Android. Free on Google Play.

Related Topics

VSWR Calculator

Full VSWR/RL converter

S11 Return Loss

S11 definition

Return Loss vs VSWR Table

Complete conversion table

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