Principle of Electronic

Communication
Overview
 Communication systems
 Analog Modulation
 AM
 FM
 Digital Modulation
 ASK
 FSK
 Modems
Communication systems

Digital

Analog

 The block diagram on the top shows the blocks common to all
communication systems
Remember the components of a communications
system:
 Input transducer: The device that converts a physical signal from
source to an electrical, mechanical or electromagnetic signal
more suitable for communicating
 Transmitter: The device that sends the transduced signal
 Transmission channel: The physical medium on which the signal
is carried
 Receiver: The device that recovers the transmitted signal from
the channel
 Output transducer: The device that converts the received signal
back into a useful quantity
 Analog Modulation
 The purpose of a communication system is to transmit information signals
(baseband signals) through a communication channel
 The term baseband is used to designate the band of frequencies
representing the original signal as delivered by the input transducer
 For example, the voice signal from a microphone is a baseband signal,
and contains frequencies in the range of 0-3000 Hz
 The “hello” wave is a baseband signal:
 Since this baseband signal must be transmitted through a
communication channel such as air using electromagnetic waves, an
appropriate procedure is needed to shift the range of baseband
frequencies to other frequency ranges suitable for transmission, and a
corresponding shift back to the original frequency range after
reception. This is called the process of modulation and demodulation
 Remember the radio spectrum:

AM radio FM radio/TV

 For example, an AM radio system transmits electromagnetic waves with

frequencies of around a few hundred kHz (MF band)
 The FM radio system must operate with frequencies in the range of 88-
108 MHz (VHF band)
 Since the baseband signal contains frequencies in the audio frequency range (3
kHz), some form of frequency-band shifting must be employed for the radio
system to operate satisfactorily
 This process is accomplished by a device called a modulator
 The transmitter block in any communications system contains the modulator
device
 The receiver block in any communications system contains the demodulator
device
 The modulator modulates a carrier wave (the electromagnetic wave) which
has a frequency that is selected from an appropriate band in the radio spectrum
 For example, the frequency of a carrier wave for FM can be chosen from
the VHF band of the radio spectrum
 For AM, the frequency of the carrier wave may be chosen to be around a
few hundred kHz (from the MF band of the radio spectrum)
 The demodulator extracts the original baseband signal from the received
modulated signal
To Summarize:
 Modulation is the process of impressing a low-frequency information signal
(baseband signal )onto a higher frequency carrier signal
 Modulation is done to bring information signals up to the Radio Frequency (or
higher) signal
Basic analog communications system
Baseband signal
EM waves (modulated
(electrical signal) Transmitter signal)

Input Transmission
transducer Modulator
Channel

EM waves (modulated
Carrier signal)
Baseband signal
(electrical signal) Receiver

Output
Demodulator
transducer
 Types of Analog Modulation
 Amplitude Modulation (AM)
 Amplitude modulation is the process of varying the amplitude
of a carrier wave in proportion to the amplitude of a
baseband signal. The frequency of the carrier remains constant
 Frequency Modulation (FM)
 Frequency modulation is the process of varying the frequency
of a carrier wave in proportion to the amplitude of a
baseband signal. The amplitude of the carrier remains constant
 Phase Modulation (PM)
 Another form of analog modulation technique which we will not
discuss
Amplitude Modulation

Carrier wave

Baseband signal

Modulated wave

Amplitude varying-
frequency constant
Frequency Modulation

Carrier wave

Large amplitude:
Baseband signal Small amplitude: high frequency
low frequency

Modulated wave
Frequency varying-
amplitude constant
AM vs. FM
 AM requires a simple circuit, and is very easy to generate.
 It is simple to tune, and is used in almost all short wave broadcasting.
 The area of coverage of AM is greater than FM (longer wavelengths
(lower frequencies) are utilized-remember property of HF waves?)
 However, it is quite inefficient, and is susceptible to static and other
forms of electrical noise.

 The main advantage of FM is its audio quality and immunity to noise.

Most forms of static and electrical noise are naturally AM, and an FM
receiver will not respond to AM signals.
 The audio quality of a FM signal increases as the frequency deviation
increases (deviation from the center frequency), which is why FM
broadcast stations use such large deviation.
 The main disadvantage of FM is the larger bandwidth it requires
 Sampling
 General definition- Selecting a subset from
the large population
 In Signal Processing-Converting the continues
time signal into discrete time (Digital) signal
 Types of Sampling
 Impulse Sampling
 Natural Sampling
 Flat top Sampling
Impulse/Dirac Delta/Ideal
Sampling
Natural Sampling
Flat Top Sampling
Aliasing Effect
Pulse Modulation(PM)
 Carrier wave is Pulse train
 Superimposed on Sinusoidal
signal(Modulation signal)
 Types of PM
 Pulse Amplitude Modulation(PAM)
 Pulse Width or Duration
modulation(PWM/PDM)
 Pulse position modulation
PAM
Natural PAM
E(t) = m(t) +Up(t)
= a0 m(t) + a1 m(t) cos2πnt/Ts + a2 m(t) cos4πnt/Ts+….
PAM Ckt
PAM Modulation -Demodulation
 Applications of PAM
 To send digital data over phone lines, digital
subscriber line (DSL) modems use PAM.
 Pulse code modulation is used in audio CDs to
encode analog audio signals into digital form.
 Digital data is sent across optical fibers using
PAM in fiber optic communications.
 Physiological signals are sent over PAM in
biomedical signal processing, including
electrocardiography (ECG).
 Pulse width modulation (PWM) techniques are
used in PAM-based industrial automation
systems to control motor speed and position.
 Advantages & Disadvantages of PAM

Advantages Disadvantages
Simple & Quality Transmission losses are
modulation more
Strong noise immunity Demands large
bandwidth
Offers variety of Susceptible for
applications such as interference from other
audio & signals
telecommunication
Reduced SNR
PWM/PDM
Pulse Position Modulation
[Link] PAM PWM PPM

Modulation Amplitude of the Width of the pulse is The relative position

pulse is proportional proportional to of the pulse is
to amplitude of the amplitude of the proportional to
modulating signal modulating signal amplitude of the
modulating signal

BW Depends on Pulse Rise time of pulse Rise time of pulse

width

Instantaneous Varies Varies constant

Transmitter power

Noise inference High High Low

SNR Low Moderate High

System Complex Complex Simple

implementation demodulation

Similarity To Amplitude To Frequency To Phase Modulation

Modulation Modulation
Digital Modulation
 The previous section presented analog communication systems
that transmit information in analog form using Amplitude or
Frequency modulation
 Digital communication systems also employ modulation
techniques, some of which include:
 Amplitude Shift Keying
 Frequency Shift Keying
 Phase Shift Keying
 Basic digital communications
system Transmitter EM waves (modulated
Digital signal
signal)
Analog signal

Input Transmission
Modulator
transducer Channel

Carrier EM waves
Receiver (modulated signal)
analog signal digital signal

Output Demodulator
transducer
 Some Types of Digital Modulation
 Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK)
 The most basic (binary) form of ASK involves the process of
switching the carrier either on or off, in correspondence to a
sequence of digital pulses that constitute the information signal.
One binary digit is represented by the presence of a carrier, the
other binary digit is represented by the absence of a carrier.
Frequency remains fixed
 Frequency Shift Keying (FSK)
 The most basic (binary) form of FSK involves the process of varying
the frequency of a carrier wave by choosing one of two frequencies
(binary FSK) in correspondence to a sequence of digital pulses that
constitute the information signal. Two binary digits are represented
by two frequencies around the carrier frequency. Amplitude
remains fixed
 Phase Shift Keying (PSK)
 Phase of the Carrier signals are changed according to the message
signal binary values
 Amplitude Shift Keying
Digital 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
information

Carrier wave

ASK
modulated
signal

Amplitude varying-
frequency constant
Carrier present Carrier absent
 Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK)
ASK- Modulation- Strength of carrier signal is varied to represent binary
0,1

• Frequency & Phase remains constant

• Amplitude changes , commonly one of the amplitude is zero

ASK Demodulation- Presence or absence of sinusoid in a given time

interval needs to be determined

Advantage- Simple method

Disadvantage- Very susceptible to noise , as noise affects amplitude

Application- Transmit digital data over optical fiber

 Frequency Shift Keying
1 0 1 1 0 0 1
Digital
information

Carrier 1
(frequency #1)
Carrier 2
(frequency #2)
FSK
modulated
signal
Frequency varying-
amplitude constant
Phase Shift Keying (PSK)
BPSK
QAM
Signal Constellation
16 QAM
Modems
 Modems are devices used to enable the transfer of data over the public switched
telephone network (PSTN)
 The name modem comes from the name MOulator- DEModulator which
describes the function the modem performs to transfer digital information over
an analog network
 The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to
reproduce the original digital data. Primarily used to communicate via telephone
lines, modems can be used over any means of transmitting analog signals
 There are many kinds of modems available today:
 Internal modem:
 A modem card in your computer that is integrated within the system
 Less expensive than external modems
 Disadvantage is that you need to access inside the computer to replace the
modem
 External modem
 A device that connects externally to your computer through a serial port
 External power supply does not drain power from the computer
 Modem activity can easily be observed
 More expensive than an internal modem

Source: [Link]
 DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
 A high-speed data service that works over conventional telephone lines
and is typically offered by telephone companies
 It does not occupy the phone line-you can still talk on the phone
 Speed is much higher than regular modem

 Cable modem
 A device that connects to the existing cable feed and to an Ethernet
network card in the PC (also called a NIC for Network Interface Card)
 Is different than a common dial up modem
 Supports higher speeds
 Typically offered by cable companies

 Modems are the most popular means of Internet access, UCLA

2001 study of American Internet users shows that 81.3% of them
use telephone modem, and 11.5% cable modem