An RF link budget is used to account for all the gains and losses in a telecommunication system — from the transmitter, through the medium (free space, cable, waveguide, fiber, and more), to the receiver. By accounting for the attenuation of the transmitted signal as it propagates through the communication channel, system designers can determine the required signal strength and antenna gain necessary to overcome all feedline and miscellaneous losses in order to ensure an appropriate quality of signal for successful data transmission.
System Simulation Primer for RF Link Budget Analysis
