Key Concepts

A brief reference for the terms used throughout this documentation. Each links to a deeper explanation.

Signal chain

An ordered sequence of RF blocks from a source (antenna, DAC, or signal source) to a load (antenna, ADC, or Output port). Represented internally as a directed graph.

Block

A single RF component with a set of parameters and one or more ports. Examples: Low Noise Amplifier, Bandpass Filter, Mixer, Power Amplifier. See Block Components.

Port

A typed connection point on a block that determines how signals flow through it. Port types:

Type	Direction	Used by
IN	Input	Amplifiers, filters, ADC
OUT	Output	Amplifiers, filters, DAC
RF	Mode-dependent on mixers	Mixer
IF	Mode-dependent on mixers	Mixer
LO	Local oscillator input	Mixer

For mixers, the main signal direction depends on operating mode:

• TX: IF in, RF out
• RX: RF in, IF out

Cascade analysis

Computing the cumulative gain, noise figure, linearity, and impedance behavior of a multi-stage RF signal chain by appropriately combining the parameters of each individual stage. See Reference Equations.

Snapshot

A named save point of the full chain state — topology, parameters, and system spec. Use snapshots to mark design milestones and compare iterations. See Snapshots.

Compute state

Every metric has one of three compute states:

State	Meaning
COMPUTED	All prerequisites present; value is exact
PARTIAL	Some prerequisites missing; best-effort estimate
UNKNOWN	Critical input missing; cannot compute

The tool never fabricates numbers. If data is missing, it reports UNKNOWN. See Bottlenecks.

Provenance

Every parameter value carries metadata: where it came from (User, Datasheet, AI, Derived, Default). See Provenance.