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Shannon Capacity

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Estimate the theoretical maximum error-free data rate for an ideal noisy channel. Use it as a ceiling for telemetry, satellite links, and RF link-budget trade studies.

MHz
dB

Capacity limit

Channel capacity

3.459 Mbps

3,459,432 bps

Spectral efficiency

3.459

bits/s/Hz at the Shannon limit

SNR

10.00 dB

10.000 linear power ratio

Required Eb/N0 at limit

4.61 dB

2.891 linear

Capacity grows linearly with bandwidth and logarithmically with SNR

The curve shows the logarithmic SNR payoff; the bandwidth strip shows why wider channels scale capacity directly.

Spectral efficiency limit

capacity per hertz vs received SNR

SNR raises bits/Hz, but with diminishing returns10.0 dB gives 3.459 b/s/HzBandwidth multiplies that efficiency directly1.000 MHz channel ceiling: 3.459 MbpsSNR sets efficiencybandwidth scales capacity

Bandwidth scaling at fixed SNR

0.25x
0.86 Mbps
0.50x
1.73 Mbps
1.00x
3.46 Mbps
2.00x
6.92 Mbps
4.00x
13.84 Mbps
Bandwidth

1.000 MHz

Spectral efficiency

3.459 b/s/Hz

Limit relationship

C = B log2(1 + SNR)

Open Source and Easy to Use Elsewhere

This tool is open source and the underlying logic is fully transparent. You can inspect the code, understand the calculations, and contribute improvements. If you want to use the tool in your own website, course page, or learning platform, you can also embed it directly and start from a ready-made iframe setup for this exact tool.

Open source: review the implementation and see how the results are produced.

Embeddable: preview this tool, copy the iframe, and use it in your own site or LMS.