Demodulation
Encyclopedia
Demodulation is the act of extracting the original information-bearing signal from a modulated carrier wave
.
A demodulator is an electronic circuit
(or computer program
in a software defined radio) that is used to recover the information content from the modulated carrier wave
.
These terms are traditionally used in connection with radio
receivers
, but many other systems use many kinds of demodulators. Another common one is in a modem
, which is a contraction of the terms modulator/demodulator.
, a demodulator has also been called a detector
. Early demodulators had only to detect the presence (or absence) of a radio wave using a device such as a coherer
, without necessarily making it audible. This alternate term has survived despite the greater sophistication of modern circuits.
), we can use a synchronous detector. On the other hand, for a signal modulated with an angular modulation, we must use an FM (Frequency Modulation
) demodulator or a PM (Phase Modulation
) demodulator. Different kinds of circuits perform these functions.
Many techniques—such as carrier recovery
, clock recovery
, bit slip
, frame synchronization
, rake receiver
, pulse compression
, Received Signal Strength Indication
, error detection and correction
, etc. --
are only performed by demodulators, although any specific demodulator may perform only some or none of these techniques.
signal encodes the information onto the carrier wave by varying its amplitude in direct sympathy with the analogue signal
to be sent. There are two methods used to demodulate AM signals.
The envelope detector
is a very simple method of demodulation. It consists of a rectifier
(anything that will pass current in one direction only), and a low-pass filter. The rectifier may be in the form of a single diode
, or may be more complex. Many natural substances exhibit this rectification behaviour, which is why it was the earliest modulation and demodulation technique used in radio. The filter is usually a RC
low-pass
type, but the filter function can sometimes be achieved by relying on the limited frequency response of the circuitry following the rectifier. The crystal set
exploits the simplicity of AM modulation to produce a receiver with very few parts, using the crystal as the rectifier, and the limited frequency response of the headphones as the filter.
The product detector
multiplies the incoming signal by the signal of a local oscillator with the same frequency and phase as the carrier of the incoming signal. After filtering the original audio signal will result. This method will decode both AM and SSB
, although if the phase cannot be determined a more complex setup is required.
An AM
signal can be rectified without requiring a coherent
demodulator. For example, the signal can be passed through an envelope detector
(a diode
rectifier
and a low-pass filter
). The output will follow the same curve as the input baseband
signal. There are forms of AM in which the carrier is reduced or suppressed entirely, which require coherent demodulation. For further reading, see sideband
.
or FM is more complex. It has numerous advantages over AM, such as better fidelity and noise immunity. However, it is much more complex to both modulate and demodulate a carrier wave with FM, and AM predates it by several decades.
There are several common types of FM demodulator:
Carrier wave
In telecommunications, a carrier wave or carrier is a waveform that is modulated with an input signal for the purpose of conveying information. This carrier wave is usually a much higher frequency than the input signal...
.
A demodulator is an electronic circuit
Electronic circuit
An electronic circuit is composed of individual electronic components, such as resistors, transistors, capacitors, inductors and diodes, connected by conductive wires or traces through which electric current can flow...
(or computer program
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
in a software defined radio) that is used to recover the information content from the modulated carrier wave
Carrier wave
In telecommunications, a carrier wave or carrier is a waveform that is modulated with an input signal for the purpose of conveying information. This carrier wave is usually a much higher frequency than the input signal...
.
These terms are traditionally used in connection with 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...
receivers
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...
, but many other systems use many kinds of demodulators. Another common one is in a modem
Modem
A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
, which is a contraction of the terms modulator/demodulator.
History
Since the early days of radio when all transmissions were in Morse CodeMorse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
, a demodulator has also been called a detector
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...
. Early demodulators had only to detect the presence (or absence) of a radio wave using a device such as a coherer
Coherer
The coherer was a primitive form of radio signal detector used in the first radio receivers during the wireless telegraphy era at the beginning of the twentieth century. Invented around 1890 by French scientist Édouard Branly, it consisted of a tube or capsule containing two electrodes spaced a...
, without necessarily making it audible. This alternate term has survived despite the greater sophistication of modern circuits.
Techniques
There are several ways of demodulation depending on how parameters of the base-band signal are transmitted in the carrier signal, such as amplitude, frequency or phase. For example, for a signal modulated with a linear modulation, like AM (Amplitude ModulationAmplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
), we can use a synchronous detector. On the other hand, for a signal modulated with an angular modulation, we must use an FM (Frequency Modulation
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...
) demodulator or a PM (Phase Modulation
Phase modulation
Phase modulation is a form of modulation that represents information as variations in the instantaneous phase of a carrier wave.Unlike its more popular counterpart, frequency modulation , PM is not very widely used for radio transmissions...
) demodulator. Different kinds of circuits perform these functions.
Many techniques—such as carrier recovery
Carrier recovery
A carrier recovery system is a circuit used to estimate and compensate for frequency and phase differences between a received signal's carrier wave and the receiver's local oscillator for the purpose of coherent demodulation....
, clock recovery
Clock recovery
Some digital data streams, especially high-speed serial data streams are sent without an accompanying clock signal. The receiver generates a clock from an approximate frequency reference, and then phase-aligns to the transitions in the data stream with a phase-locked loop...
, bit slip
Bit slip
In digital transmission, bit slip is the loss of a bit or bits, caused by clock drift – variations in the respective clock rates of the transmitting and receiving devices....
, frame synchronization
Frame synchronization
While receiving a stream of framed data, frame synchronization is the process by which incoming frame alignment signals, i.e., distinctive bit sequences , are identified, i.e., distinguished from data bits, permitting the data bits within the frame to be extracted for decoding or retransmission...
, rake receiver
Rake receiver
A rake receiver is a radio receiver designed to counter the effects of multipath fading. It does this by using several "sub-receivers" called fingers, that is, several correlators each assigned to a different multipath component...
, pulse compression
Pulse compression
Pulse compression is a signal processing technique mainly used in radar, sonar and echography to increase the range resolution as well as the signal to noise ratio...
, Received Signal Strength Indication
Received signal strength indication
In telecommunications, received signal strength indicator is a measurement of the power present in a received radio signal.RSSI is a generic radio receiver technology metric, which is usually invisible to the user of the device containing the receiver, but is directly known to users of wireless...
, error detection and correction
Error detection and correction
In information theory and coding theory with applications in computer science and telecommunication, error detection and correction or error control are techniques that enable reliable delivery of digital data over unreliable communication channels...
, etc. --
are only performed by demodulators, although any specific demodulator may perform only some or none of these techniques.
AM radio
An AMAmplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
signal encodes the information onto the carrier wave by varying its amplitude in direct sympathy with the analogue signal
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
to be sent. There are two methods used to demodulate AM signals.
The envelope detector
Envelope detector
An envelope detector is an electronic circuit that takes a high-frequency signal as input and provides an output which is the "envelope" of the original signal. The capacitor in the circuit stores up charge on the rising edge, and releases it slowly through the resistor when the signal falls...
is a very simple method of demodulation. It consists of a rectifier
Rectifier
A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current , which periodically reverses direction, to direct current , which flows in only one direction. The process is known as rectification...
(anything that will pass current in one direction only), and a low-pass filter. The rectifier may be in the form of a single diode
Diode
In electronics, a diode is a type of two-terminal electronic component with a nonlinear current–voltage characteristic. A semiconductor diode, the most common type today, is a crystalline piece of semiconductor material connected to two electrical terminals...
, or may be more complex. Many natural substances exhibit this rectification behaviour, which is why it was the earliest modulation and demodulation technique used in radio. The filter is usually a RC
RC circuit
A resistor–capacitor circuit ', or RC filter or RC network, is an electric circuit composed of resistors and capacitors driven by a voltage or current source...
low-pass
Low-pass filter
A low-pass filter is an electronic filter that passes low-frequency signals but attenuates signals with frequencies higher than the cutoff frequency. The actual amount of attenuation for each frequency varies from filter to filter. It is sometimes called a high-cut filter, or treble cut filter...
type, but the filter function can sometimes be achieved by relying on the limited frequency response of the circuitry following the rectifier. The crystal set
Crystal radio receiver
thumb|Boy listening to a modern crystal radioA crystal radio receiver, also called a crystal set or cat's whisker receiver, is a very simple radio receiver, popular in the early days of radio. It needs no battery or power source and runs on the power received from radio waves by a long wire antenna...
exploits the simplicity of AM modulation to produce a receiver with very few parts, using the crystal as the rectifier, and the limited frequency response of the headphones as the filter.
The product detector
Product detector
A product detector is a type of demodulator used for AM and SSB signals. Rather than converting the envelope of the signal into the decoded waveform like an envelope detector, the product detector takes the product of the modulated signal and a local oscillator, hence the name...
multiplies the incoming signal by the signal of a local oscillator with the same frequency and phase as the carrier of the incoming signal. After filtering the original audio signal will result. This method will decode both AM and SSB
Single-sideband modulation
Single-sideband modulation or Single-sideband suppressed-carrier is a refinement of amplitude modulation that more efficiently uses electrical power and bandwidth....
, although if the phase cannot be determined a more complex setup is required.
An AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
signal can be rectified without requiring a coherent
Coherence (physics)
In physics, coherence is a property of waves that enables stationary interference. More generally, coherence describes all properties of the correlation between physical quantities of a wave....
demodulator. For example, the signal can be passed through an envelope detector
Envelope detector
An envelope detector is an electronic circuit that takes a high-frequency signal as input and provides an output which is the "envelope" of the original signal. The capacitor in the circuit stores up charge on the rising edge, and releases it slowly through the resistor when the signal falls...
(a diode
Diode
In electronics, a diode is a type of two-terminal electronic component with a nonlinear current–voltage characteristic. A semiconductor diode, the most common type today, is a crystalline piece of semiconductor material connected to two electrical terminals...
rectifier
Rectifier
A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current , which periodically reverses direction, to direct current , which flows in only one direction. The process is known as rectification...
and a low-pass filter
Low-pass filter
A low-pass filter is an electronic filter that passes low-frequency signals but attenuates signals with frequencies higher than the cutoff frequency. The actual amount of attenuation for each frequency varies from filter to filter. It is sometimes called a high-cut filter, or treble cut filter...
). The output will follow the same curve as the input baseband
Baseband
In telecommunications and signal processing, baseband is an adjective that describes signals and systems whose range of frequencies is measured from close to 0 hertz to a cut-off frequency, a maximum bandwidth or highest signal frequency; it is sometimes used as a noun for a band of frequencies...
signal. There are forms of AM in which the carrier is reduced or suppressed entirely, which require coherent demodulation. For further reading, see sideband
Sideband
In radio communications, a sideband is a band of frequencies higher than or lower than the carrier frequency, containing power as a result of the modulation process. The sidebands consist of all the Fourier components of the modulated signal except the carrier...
.
FM radio
Frequency modulationFrequency 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...
or FM is more complex. It has numerous advantages over AM, such as better fidelity and noise immunity. However, it is much more complex to both modulate and demodulate a carrier wave with FM, and AM predates it by several decades.
There are several common types of FM demodulator:
- The quadrature detector, which phasePhase (waves)Phase in waves is the fraction of a wave cycle which has elapsed relative to an arbitrary point.-Formula:The phase of an oscillation or wave refers to a sinusoidal function such as the following:...
shifts the signal by 90 degrees and multiplies it with the unshifted version. One of the terms that drops out from this operation is the original information signal, which is selected and amplified. - The signal is fed into a PLL and the error signal is used as the demodulated signal.
- The most common is a Foster-Seeley discriminatorFoster-Seeley discriminatorThe Foster-Seeley discriminator is a common type of FM detector circuit, invented in 1936 by Dudley E. Foster and Stuart William Seeley. The circuit was envisioned for automatic frequency control of receivers, but also found application in demodulating an FM signal.It uses a tuned RF transformer...
. This is composed of an electronic filterElectronic filterElectronic filters are electronic circuits which perform signal processing functions, specifically to remove unwanted frequency components from the signal, to enhance wanted ones, or both...
which decreases the amplitude of some frequencies relative to others, followed by an AM demodulator. If the filter response changes linearly with frequency, the final analog output will be proportional to the input frequency, as desired. - A variant of the Foster-Seeley discriminator called the ratio detector
- Another method uses two AM demodulators, one tuned to the high end of the band and the other to the low end, and feed the outputs into a difference amp.
- Using a digital signal processorDigital signal processorA digital signal processor is a specialized microprocessor with an architecture optimized for the fast operational needs of digital signal processing.-Typical characteristics:...
, as used in software-defined radioSoftware-defined radioA software-defined radio system, or SDR, is a radio communication system where components that have been typically implemented in hardware are instead implemented by means of software on a personal computer or embedded computing devices...
.