In telecommunication

Telecommunication

Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...

, the power margin is the difference between available signal power

Power (physics)

In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...

 and the minimum signal power needed to overcome system

System

System is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole....

 losses and still satisfy the minimum input requirements of the receiver for a given performance level.

System power margin reflects the excess signal level, present at the input of the receiver, that is available to compensate for (a) the effects of component

Electronic component

An electronic component is a basic electronic element and may be available in a discrete form having two or more electrical terminals . These are intended to be connected together, usually by soldering to a printed circuit board, in order to create an electronic circuit with a particular function...

 aging in the transmitter, receiver, or physical transmission medium

Transmission medium

A transmission medium is a material substance that can propagate energy waves...

, and (b) a deterioration in propagation

Wave propagation

Wave propagation is any of the ways in which waves travel.With respect to the direction of the oscillation relative to the propagation direction, we can distinguish between longitudinal wave and transverse waves....

conditions. Synonym system power margin.