demodulaatorist

A demodulator is an electronic circuit or device that performs demodulation. Demodulation is the process of extracting information from a carrier wave. This is the reverse process of modulation, where information is embedded onto a carrier wave for transmission. Demodulators are essential components in virtually all modern communication systems, enabling the reception of signals like radio, television, and digital data.

There are various types of demodulators, each designed to handle different modulation schemes. For analog signals, common demodulators include AM (amplitude modulation) demodulators, which extract the original audio signal by detecting variations in the carrier wave's amplitude, and FM (frequency modulation) demodulators, which detect changes in the carrier wave's frequency. For digital signals, demodulators are used to convert the modulated carrier back into a stream of binary data (bits). Examples include coherent demodulators, which require a reference signal, and non-coherent demodulators, which do not.

The output of a demodulator is the original information signal, which can then be processed further, such as being amplified and sent to a speaker or display. Without demodulators, the signals transmitted over vast distances would be unintelligible. They are fundamental to the functioning of radios, televisions, mobile phones, Wi-Fi devices, and many other communication technologies. The design and performance of a demodulator are critical to the quality and reliability of a communication system.