Capture effect
Encyclopedia
In telecommunication
, the capture effect, or FM capture effect, is a phenomenon associated with FM
reception in which only the stronger of two signals at, or near, the same frequency
will be demodulated
.
The capture effect is defined as the complete suppression of the weaker signal at the receiver
limiter
(if it has one) where the weaker signal is not amplified
, but attenuated. When both signals are nearly equal in strength, or are fading
independently, the receiver may switch
from one to the other and exhibit picket fencing
.
The capture effect can occur at the signal limiter, or in the demodulation
stage, for circuits that do not require a signal limiter. Some types of radio receiver circuits
have a stronger capture effect than others. The measurement of how well a receiver can reject a second signal on the same frequency is called the capture ratio for a specific receiver. It is measured as the lowest ratio of the power of two signals that will result in the suppression of the smaller signal.
Amplitude modulation, or AM
radio
, transmission
is not subject to this effect. This is one reason that the aviation
industry, and others, have chosen to use AM for communications rather than FM, allowing multiple signals to be broadcast
on the same channel. Similar phenomena to the capture effect are described in AM when offset carriers of different strengths are present in the passband of a receiver. For example, the aviation glideslope vertical guidance clearance beam is sometimes described as a "capture effect" system, even though it operates using AM signals.
If the signals are close but not exactly on the same frequency the mix will not only include the audio from both carriers but depending on the carrier separation a whistle might be heard as well representing the difference in the carrier frequencies. This mix can also occur when an AM carrier is received on a channel that is adjacent to the desired channel. The resulting overlap forms the high pitched whistle (about 10 Kilohertz) that can often be heard behind an AM station at night when other carriers from adjacent channels are traveling long distances due to atmospheric bounce.
Since AM assumes short term changes in the amplitude to be information, any electrical impulse will be picked up and demodulated along with the desired carrier. Hence lightning causes crashing noises when picked up by a AM radio near a storm. FM radios suppress short term changes in amplitude and are therefore much less prone to noise during storms and during reception of electrical noise impulses.
For digital modulation schemes it has been shown that for properly implemented on-off keying
/amplitude-shift keying
systems, co-channel
rejection
can be better than for frequency-shift keying
systems.
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 capture effect, or FM capture effect, is a phenomenon associated with FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
reception in which only the stronger of two signals at, or near, the same frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
will be demodulated
Demodulation
Demodulation is the act of extracting the original information-bearing signal from a modulated carrier wave.A demodulator is an electronic circuit that is used to recover the information content from the modulated carrier wave.These terms are traditionally used in connection with radio receivers,...
.
The capture effect is defined as the complete suppression of the weaker signal at the receiver
Receiver (radio)
A radio receiver converts signals from a radio antenna to a usable form. It uses electronic filters to separate a wanted radio frequency signal from all other signals, the electronic amplifier increases the level suitable for further processing, and finally recovers the desired information through...
limiter
Limiter
In electronics, a limiter is a circuit that allows signals below a specified input power to pass unaffected while attenuating the peaks of stronger signals that exceed this input power....
(if it has one) where the weaker signal is not amplified
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
, but attenuated. When both signals are nearly equal in strength, or are fading
Fading
In wireless communications, fading is deviation of the attenuation that a carrier-modulated telecommunication signal experiences over certain propagation media. The fading may vary with time, geographical position and/or radio frequency, and is often modelled as a random process. A fading channel...
independently, the receiver may switch
Switch
In electronics, a switch is an electrical component that can break an electrical circuit, interrupting the current or diverting it from one conductor to another....
from one to the other and exhibit picket fencing
Picket fencing
Picket fencing is slang for the chopping effect sometimes heard by cell phone users at the edge of a cell's coverage area, or by the landline user to whom the cellphone is connected...
.
The capture effect can occur at the signal limiter, or in the demodulation
Demodulation
Demodulation is the act of extracting the original information-bearing signal from a modulated carrier wave.A demodulator is an electronic circuit that is used to recover the information content from the modulated carrier wave.These terms are traditionally used in connection with radio receivers,...
stage, for circuits that do not require a signal limiter. Some types of radio receiver circuits
Detector (radio)
A detector is a device that recovers information of interest contained in a modulated wave. The term dates from the early days of radio when all transmissions were in Morse code, and it was only necessary to detect the presence of a radio wave using a device such as a coherer without necessarily...
have a stronger capture effect than others. The measurement of how well a receiver can reject a second signal on the same frequency is called the capture ratio for a specific receiver. It is measured as the lowest ratio of the power of two signals that will result in the suppression of the smaller signal.
Amplitude modulation, or AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, transmission
Transmission (telecommunications)
Transmission, in telecommunications, is the process of sending, propagating and receiving an analogue or digital information signal over a physical point-to-point or point-to-multipoint transmission medium, either wired, optical fiber or wireless...
is not subject to this effect. This is one reason that the aviation
Airband
Airband or Aircraft band is the name for a group of frequencies in the VHF radio spectrum allocated to radio communication in civil aviation, sometimes also referred to as VHF, or phonetically as "Victor"...
industry, and others, have chosen to use AM for communications rather than FM, allowing multiple signals to be broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
on the same channel. Similar phenomena to the capture effect are described in AM when offset carriers of different strengths are present in the passband of a receiver. For example, the aviation glideslope vertical guidance clearance beam is sometimes described as a "capture effect" system, even though it operates using AM signals.
Amplitude modulation immunity to capture effect
In FM demodulation the receiver tracks the modulated frequency shift of the desired carrier while discriminating against any other signal since it can only follow the deviation of one signal at a time. In AM modulation the receiver tracks the signal strength of the AM signal as the basis for demodulation. This allows any other signal to be tracked as just another change in amplitude. So it is possible for an AM receiver to demodulate several carriers at the same time, resulting in an audio mix.If the signals are close but not exactly on the same frequency the mix will not only include the audio from both carriers but depending on the carrier separation a whistle might be heard as well representing the difference in the carrier frequencies. This mix can also occur when an AM carrier is received on a channel that is adjacent to the desired channel. The resulting overlap forms the high pitched whistle (about 10 Kilohertz) that can often be heard behind an AM station at night when other carriers from adjacent channels are traveling long distances due to atmospheric bounce.
Since AM assumes short term changes in the amplitude to be information, any electrical impulse will be picked up and demodulated along with the desired carrier. Hence lightning causes crashing noises when picked up by a AM radio near a storm. FM radios suppress short term changes in amplitude and are therefore much less prone to noise during storms and during reception of electrical noise impulses.
For digital modulation schemes it has been shown that for properly implemented on-off keying
On-off keying
On-off keying the simplest form of amplitude-shift keying modulation that represents digital data as the presence or absence of a carrier wave. In its simplest form, the presence of a carrier for a specific duration represents a binary one, while its absence for the same duration represents a...
/amplitude-shift keying
Amplitude-shift keying
Amplitude-shift keying is a form of modulation that represents digital data as variations in the amplitude of a carrier wave.Any digital modulation scheme uses a finite number of distinct signals to represent digital data. ASK uses a finite number of amplitudes, each assigned a unique pattern of...
systems, co-channel
Co-channel interference
Co-channel interference or CCI is crosstalk from two different radio transmitters using the same frequency. There can be several causes of co-channel radio interference; four examples are listed here....
rejection
Electronic selectivity
Selectivity is a measure of the performance of a radio receiver to respond only to the radio signal it is tuned to and reject other signals nearby in frequency, such as another broadcast on an adjacent channel....
can be better than for frequency-shift keying
Frequency-shift keying
Frequency-shift keying is a frequency modulation scheme in which digital information is transmitted through discrete frequency changes of a carrier wave. The simplest FSK is binary FSK . BFSK uses a pair of discrete frequencies to transmit binary information. With this scheme, the "1" is called...
systems.