What is meant by the term noise figure of a communications receiver?

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Multiple Choice

What is meant by the term noise figure of a communications receiver?

Noise figure measures how much noise a receiver adds to a signal as it processes it. It’s defined as the ratio of the signal-to-noise ratio at the input to the signal-to-noise ratio at the output, so a lower figure means the receiver preserves the input SNR better. The best description is that it reflects the level of noise generated by the receiver’s own electronics, especially the front end and the stages that follow, since these are what determine how much extra noise is introduced. This is different from external noise coming from the antenna or from a receiver’s ability to reject nearby signals, which are not what noise figure quantifies.

Noise figure measures how much noise a receiver adds to a signal as it processes it. It’s defined as the ratio of the signal-to-noise ratio at the input to the signal-to-noise ratio at the output, so a lower figure means the receiver preserves the input SNR better. The best description is that it reflects the level of noise generated by the receiver’s own electronics, especially the front end and the stages that follow, since these are what determine how much extra noise is introduced. This is different from external noise coming from the antenna or from a receiver’s ability to reject nearby signals, which are not what noise figure quantifies.

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