Shown in the Figure is the System Operating Margin (SOM) calculation page. It has many input parameters with three (3) main output, namely,
RX Signal Level (dBm)
Free Space Loss (dB)
Theoretical System Operating Margin (dB)
We need to make sure that we have about 10-15 dB of System Operating Margin (SOM) to give some space for any fading & multipath of the radio signal.
To be able to calculate these three (3) parameters, we need to provide the formula with data on
Frequency (MHz)
Distance (Miles)
TX Power (dBm), WLAN card transmitter power normally about 30-100mW range.
TX Cable Loss (dB), depending on type of cable & length. It would be better to restrict the length to less then 10 meter.
TX Antenna Gain (dBi),
Free Space Loss
RX Antenna Gain (dBi)
RX Cable Loss (dB)
RX Sensitivity
Most of the data needed can be found in the manual or specification of the equipments. Most of WLAN card will likely to have TX Power