{
  "id": "glossary:duty-cycle",
  "collection": "glossary",
  "slug": "duty-cycle",
  "name": "Duty cycle",
  "summary": "The fraction of time a transmitter is actually radiating — the reason a peak reading and a time-averaged exposure can differ by a factor of a hundred or more.",
  "status": "verified",
  "lastVerified": "2026-08-12",
  "data": {
    "definition": "Most digital transmitters send bursts rather than a continuous carrier. A smart meter may transmit for well under one percent of the time, so its peak burst amplitude says little about exposure as regulatory limits define it, which is averaged over 6 or 30 minutes. Any comparison of a measurement to a limit is invalid unless both refer to the same averaging.",
    "category": "measurement",
    "seeAlso": [
      "emitters:smart-meter",
      "protocols:rf-room-survey"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "fcc-1310",
      "title": "47 CFR § 1.1310 — Radiofrequency radiation exposure limits",
      "publisher": "U.S. Government Publishing Office (eCFR)",
      "url": "https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/section-1.1310",
      "kind": "regulation",
      "retrieved": "2026-08-12"
    },
    {
      "id": "sbm-2024",
      "title": "Building Biology Evaluation Guidelines for Sleeping Areas (SBM-2024)",
      "publisher": "Institut für Baubiologie + Nachhaltigkeit (IBN)",
      "url": "https://buildingbiology.com/site/downloads/SBM-2024_EVALUATION_GUIDELINES_EN.pdf",
      "year": 2024,
      "kind": "ngo",
      "retrieved": "2026-08-12"
    }
  ],
  "links": {
    "self": "https://emfbase.com/api/glossary/duty-cycle",
    "html": "https://emfbase.com/glossary/duty-cycle",
    "markdown": "https://emfbase.com/glossary/duty-cycle.md",
    "collection": "https://emfbase.com/api/glossary"
  }
}