PRACTICAL CIRCUITS
PRACTICAL CIRCUITS
Transceiver design; filters; oscillators; digital signal processing (DSP)
What circuit is used to select one of the sidebands from a balanced modulator?
Hint: A FILTER - PROCESSES
Modulation is the process that combines the audio signal with the radio frequency. In AM (amplitude modulation) this encodes all of the information about the audio signal in the sidebands, at which point the carrier frequency serves no further purpose.
A balanced modulator first modulates and then also suppresses the now superfluous carrier signal.
The output of the balanced modulator gets passed to the filter, which removes one of the sidebands. That single sideband is then forwarded on to the mixer which will produce a signal with the desired frequency.
For more info see Wikipedia: Single-sideband modulation - 3.1 Bandpass filtering
Last edited by edponce@yahoo.com. Register to edit
Tags: none
What output is produced by a balanced modulator?
A balanced modulator mixes the RF with the carrier, but suppresses the carrier frequency in the output, passing the upper and lower sidebands.
SILLY HINT: Three of the answers have modulate mentioned, but only one has the "balance" of "double-sided"
Last edited by georgej. Register to edit
Tags: none
What is one reason to use an impedance matching transformer at a transmitter output?
One reason to use an impedance matching transformer is to maximize the transfer of power. This type of transformer alters the current and voltages, which changes the impedances between the power source and load. Matching the impedances allows for maximum power transfer, so this is one component which may be used for the function.
For more info see Wikipedia: Impedance matching, Impedance Matching Transformer
Last edited by ironcal67. Register to edit
Tags: none
How is a product detector used?
A product detector is utilized in a single sideband (SSB) receiver to extract the modulated signal. When receiving a single sideband signal, the product detector combines the received signal with a local oscillator signal. By multiplying or mixing these signals, the product detector creates a new signal that contains the original voice or information.
This demodulated signal can then be further processed and converted into audio or data that we can perceive or interpret. In essence, the product detector plays a vital role in separating the modulated signal from the carrier wave, allowing us to retrieve and utilize the transmitted communication.
SILLY HINT: The "product" we are detecting is the desired signal (audio) - and it has to be extracted to be useful.
Last edited by kd7bbc. Register to edit
Tags: none
Which of the following is characteristic of a direct digital synthesizer (DDS)?
Variable frequency with the stability of a crystal oscillator is an advantage of a transceiver controlled by a direct digital synthesizer (DDS). The DDS can be used over a wide range of frequencies and can be precisely controlled to create finely stepped sine wave forms while producing very little phase noise.
For more info see Wikipedia: Direct digital synthesizer
Silly Hint: A synthesizer in a music instrument creates variable frequencies
Last edited by gconklin. Register to edit
Tags: none
Which of the following is an advantage of a digital signal processing (DSP) filter compared to an analog filter?
An advantage of a receiver digital signal processor (DSP) IF (intermediate frequency) filter compared to an analog filter, is that a wide range of filter bandwidths and shapes can be created. The software and processing abilities of the DSP unit make it a very flexible instrument for either filtering or other modifications, signal modulation or other adjustments to the received signal.
For more info see Wikipedia: Digital signal processor, Digital Signal Processing
Last edited by mk2019. Register to edit
Tags: none
What term specifies a filter’s attenuation inside its passband?
Hint: To be “inside” is to “insert”
A filter's pass band is the band that allows the signal to pass through it. However, even in the pass band the filter does attenuate the signal some. This base level of attenuation from having the filter inserted into the signal path is called the "Insertion loss".
Last edited by edponce@yahoo.com. Register to edit
Tags: none
Which parameter affects receiver sensitivity?
SILLY HINT: To "receive" something (receiver) means for something to "come in". There are two answers that start with "Input" therefore there is more than one answer that starts with "input," so only correct answer must be "D"-All these choices correct.
Last edited by sparkie855. Register to edit
Tags: none
What is the phase difference between the I and Q RF signals that software-defined radio (SDR) equipment uses for modulation and demodulation?
Silly Hint: Average IQ (of a person) is 90
Another silly hint: In the pool of questions, this is G7C 09; the answer is 90, so there's an easy relation in the question.
I & Q signals are used as components of a quadrature signal. By definition, they are separated by 90 degrees. You just need to memorize this. It may help to remember they are QUADrature, think of dividing a signal into 4 parts: 360 degrees divided by 4 is 90 degrees.
Last edited by grfd711. Register to edit
Tags: none
What is an advantage of using I-Q modulation with software-defined radios (SDRs)?
I and Q signals are the In-phase and Quadrature components of a signal. They provide enough data for software to be able to decode many different types of modulation.
It is debatable whether "all types" of modulation can be created, but certainly a great many different types can be. That is the power of a Software Defined Radio!
Addressing the distractors:
The need for high resolution analog-to-digital converters is eliminated
- No, actually the higher the resolution on the A2D converters the more you can do with the SDR as those are what allow converting the provided signals (analog) into a digital form!
Minimum detectable signal level is reduced
- No, there isn't any real impact on that, though it's conceivable that you may be able to make better use of what you have with good enough software.
Converting the signal from digital to analog creates mixing products
- No, there is no reason that D2A converters should create mixing products.
Memory hints:
A person with high IQ can create ALL kinds of things
Software requires processing
Last edited by kd7bbc. Register to edit
Tags: none
Which of these functions is performed by software in a software-defined radio (SDR)?
The transmitter of the software-defined radio (SDR) is just a "transmitter", so it can do anything since it just sends and receives signal to and from the air and doesn't try to encode or decode them but just process them directly to the computer.
Last edited by ybx332. Register to edit
Tags: none
What is the frequency above which a low-pass filter’s output power is less than half the input power?
A low pass filter passes the low frequencies and rejects the high frequencies. "Cutoff" indicates the point at which frequencies are rejected.
Note that "roll off" describes the shape of the filter's curve between the pass band and stop band. It isn't a specific frequency, it is more likely to be described as a rate of change like dB/decade.
Hint: A quarterback also throws a “Lowpass” to “cut-off” any sacks
Last edited by chuck barnett. Register to edit
Tags: none
What term specifies a filter’s maximum ability to reject signals outside its passband?
Memory aid: "A maximum reject is an ultimate reject"
Notch depth describes the ability to accept a signal in the center of a band pass filter.
Rolloff describes the steepness of the edge of a filter between the pass band and stop band.
Insertion loss describes the loss across the band by the insertion of the filter into the circuit.
Ultimate rejection describes the ability to reject signals outside the pass band.
Hint: The question and answer both have reject.
Last edited by katzelover. Register to edit
Tags: none
The bandwidth of a band-pass filter is measured between what two frequencies?
Hint: a bandwidth has UPPER and LOWER limits
"Upper and lower half-power" is correct. These might also be referred to as the upper and lower cutoff or -3dB frequencies.
Don't be tricked by: "Cutoff and Rolloff". Rolloff describes the shape of the edge of the filter's transfer function, not a specific frequency.
Half-Power Point, aka Half-Power Frequencies
The half-power point is the point at which the output power has dropped to half of its peak value; that is, at a level of approximately -3 dB.
In filters, optical filters, and electronic amplifiers, the half-power point is also known as half-power bandwidth and is a commonly used definition for the cutoff frequency.
Last edited by jeff00seattle. Register to edit
Tags: none