Analog to Analog Conversion
(Modulation)
Last Updated : 17 Jul, 2023
Analog Signal:
An analog 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.
Analog to Analog Conversion –
Analog-to-analog conversion, or modulation, is the representation of
analog information by an analog signal. It is a process by virtue of which a
characteristic of carrier wave is varied according to the instantaneous
amplitude of the modulating signal. This modulation is generally needed
when a bandpass channel is required. Bandpass is a range of
frequencies which are transmitted through a bandpass filter which is a
filter allowing specific frequencies to pass preventing signals at unwanted
frequencies.
Analog to Analog conversion can be done in three ways:
1. Amplitude Modulation
2. Frequency Modulation
3. Phase Modulation
1. AMPLITUDE MODULATION:
The modulation in which the amplitude of the carrier wave is varied
according to the instantaneous amplitude of the modulating signal
keeping phase and frequency as constant. The figure below shows the
concept of amplitude modulation:
AM is normally implemented by using a simple multiplier because the
amplitude of the carrier signal needs to be changed according to the
amplitude of the modulating signal.
AM bandwidth:
The modulation creates a bandwidth that is twice the bandwidth of the
modulating signal and covers a range centered on the carrier frequency.
Bandwidth= 2fm
2. FREQUENCY MODULATION –
The modulation in which the frequency of the carrier wave is varied
according to the instantaneous frequency of the modulating signal
keeping phase and amplitude as constant. The figure below shows the
concept of frequency modulation:
FM is normally implemented by using a voltage-controlled oscillator as
with FSK. The frequency of the oscillator changes according to the input
voltage which is the amplitude of the modulating signal.
FM bandwidth:
1. The bandwidth of a frequency modulated signal varies with both
deviation and modulating frequency. If modulating frequency (Mf)
0.5, wide band Fm signal.
2. For a narrow band Fm signal, bandwidth required is twice the
maximum frequency of the modulation, however for a wide band Fm
signal the required bandwidth can be very much larger, with
detectable sidebands spreading out over large amounts of the
frequency spectrum.
3. PHASE MODULATION:
The modulation in which the phase of the carrier wave is varied according
to the instantaneous pIn of the modulating signal keeping amplitude and
frequency as constant. The figure below shows the concept of frequency
modulation:
Phase modulation is practically similar to Frequency Modulation, but in
Phase modulation frequency of the carrier signal is not increased. It is
normally implemented by using a voltage-controlled oscillator along with a
derivative. The frequency of the oscillator changes according to the
derivative of the input voltage which is the amplitude of the modulating
signal.
PM bandwidth:
1. For small amplitude signals, PM is similar to amplitude modulation
(AM) and exhibits its unfortunate doubling of baseband bandwidth
and poor efficiency.
2. For a single large sinusoidal signal, PM is similar to FM, and its
bandwidth is approximately, 2 (h+1) Fm where h= modulation
index.
Thus, Modulation allows us to send a signal over a bandpass frequency
range. If every signal gets its own frequency range, then we can transmit
multiple signals simultaneously over a single channel, all using different
frequency ranges.
