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1.1 Radio Communication: 1.1.1 Electromagnetic Signal
1.1 Radio Communication: 1.1.1 Electromagnetic Signal
1.1 Radio Communication: 1.1.1 Electromagnetic Signal
Figure 1.1: A typical electromagnetic signal The distance between two wave crests is the wavelength of this signal. The signal traverses at the velocity of light. A signal is qualified by its frequency oscillation that is, the number of oscillations per second. The usual frequency we get from the electric currents is our household connections is about 50/60 cycles per second. In radio (AM) broadcasting, frequency of the electromagnetic signal used is in the order of cycles per second. The frequency used for FM radio/TV is more than the radio broadcast and short waves/radar frequency is more than the frequency used for FM radio/TV. For reference, it can be stated that the further increase in the frequency of oscillation make electromagnetic signal visible by human eyes. The visible frequency is in the range of 5 x 1014 to 5 x 1015 cycles per second. The unit of frequency measure is Hertz (Hz); 1Hz represents the frequency of one cycle per second. The megahertz (MHz) is 106 Hz and gigahertz implies 109 Hz. That is, 1 MHz indicates that the signal completes one million cycles per second. The variable quality of the electromagnetic waves could also be the wavelength. The frequency is also inversely proportional to the wavelength. i.e. higher frequencies have shorter wavelength, while lower frequencies implies larger wavelength. The frequency (f) can be represented asf=/, where v= phase velocity of wave and =wavelength. In vacuum, v is the velocity of light. The radio waves can be of wide range of wavelengths. The regular radio broadcasting wavelength is about 500 meters. The wavelength of short wave is in the order of millimeter. Further the frequency as f=1/T , Where T is the time between two consecutive occurrences of the event in wave propagation. Analog vs. Digital signal The signal can be either analog or digital. An analog signal is one in which the signal intensity varies in a smooth fashion (continuous) over time. On the contrary, a digital signal is one in which the signal intensity maintains a constant level (discrete) for some period of time and then changes to another constant level. Figure 1.2 shows a sample of analog and digital signals. a) Analog Signal
Strength of signal Time
Digital Signal
Figure 1.2: Analog and Digital signal Spectrum/Bandwidth The electromagnetic waves cover a wide frequency range. The spectrum of a signal is the range of frequencies that it contains. If a frequency spectrum ranges from f to 3f, the absolute bandwidth of the signal is 3f-f=2f , the width of the spectrum. Many signals have an infinite bandwidth. However, most of the energy contains within a relatively narrow band of frequencies. This narrow band is referred to as the effective bandwidth or simply bandwidth. In radio, the width of the frequency spectrum can impart more information in communication process.