Re: Return loss
You want to have high return loss numbers because:
- more signal power gets through
- many times the reflected signal goes back to the output of some semiconductor devices and can perturb their proper function (sometimes you need to put an isolator to avoid problems and that, increases costs)
- the interference with the next incoming signal happens only if this returned signal is reflected again back from the previous devices, discontinuities, generator etc.
- the multiple reflections described above can give rise to unwanted resonances that can perturb the generator and also change the “transfer function” from generator to devices.