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Wireless & Mobility · Intermediate

Duty Cycle

The percentage of time an RF transmitter is active on a frequency.

Definition

Spectrum analyzers display duty cycle to show how continuously a frequency is occupied. A high duty cycle source such as a video transmitter or jammer can make a channel unusable. Wi-Fi traffic is bursty with lower duty cycles.

Example

A 100 percent duty cycle signal indicates continuous interference such as a jammer.

Exam tip

High duty cycle interference is more harmful than intermittent bursts.

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