Fig 1.2 pg 3 (B.P.

Lathi) :- Block diagram of a communication system

The components of communication system are as follows:-

The source originates a message or data. If the data is non-electrical it must be converted by
an input transducer into electrical waveform referred to as the baseband signal/message
signal. The transmitter modifies the baseband signal for efficient transmission.

Transmitter consists of :-

 Pre-emphasizer : - Pre-emphasis refers to a system process designed to increase,

within a band of frequencies, the magnitude of some (usually higher) frequencies
with respect to the magnitude of other (usually lower) frequencies in order to
improve the overall signal-to-noise ratio
 Sampler : - sampling is the reduction of a continuous signal to a discrete signal
 Quantizer : - quantization is the process of approximating a continuous range of
values by a relatively small set of discrete symbols or integer values
 Coder
 Modulator: - modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a high
frequency periodic waveform, called the carrier signal, with respect to a modulating
signal

Channel Distortion

The channel is a medium through which transmitter output is sent. The receiver reprocesses
the signal received from the channel by undoing the signal modifications made at the
transmitter and the channel. The receiver output is fed to the output transducer which
converts the electrical signal to its original form (message). The destination is the unit to
which the message is communicated. The channel acts as a filter and weakens the input
signal thereby distorting the waveform. Distortion is of 2 types - nonlinear which can be
corrected partly by a complementary equalizer and linear which can be corrected by an
equalizer with gain and phase characteristics complementary to those of the channel, both at
the receiver end. As the length of the channel increases attenuation of the i/p signal also
increases.

Path distortion

Input signal is also contaminated by undesirable signals called noise. Noise can be external
or internal. External noise includes interference from signals transmitted on nearby
channels. Internal noise includes thermal motion of electrons.

Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)

It is defined as the ratio of signal power to noise power. The ratio decreases as the length of
the channel increases. Amplification of the received signal further reduces SNR due to
amplified noise.

Analog and Digital Messages

Messages are of 2 types – analog and digital. Digital messages are constructed with finite no.
of symbols. Analog signals are characterized by data whose values vary over a continuous
range (infinite possible values).
Bandwidth (B): - The B of a channel is the range of frequencies that it can transmit with
reasonable fidelity (exactness). The rate of information transmission is directly proportional
to B.

Signal Power(S):- It is related to the quality of transmission. Increasing S reduces the

effect of channel noise and the information is received more accurately. A larger SNR allows
transmission over longer distances.

Modulation

Baseband/Input signals are not suited for direct transmission over a channel. These signals
are modified to facilitate transmission and the modification process is called modulation. In
this process the baseband signal is used to modify some parameter of a high frequency
carrier signal. A carrier signal is a sinusoidal of high frequency and one of its parameters
such as amplitude, frequency or phase is varied in proportion to the baseband signal m(t).
Accordingly we have AM, FM and PM. The modulated signal should undergo a reverse
process at the receivers end; this process is called demodulation (reconstruction of the
baseband signal). The freq of CS (carrier signal) is always greater than the baseband signal
(BS).

Types of Modulation

 Continuous Wave Modulation: - When the carrier wave is continuous in nature

then the modulation process is known as CWM or analog mod. Ex. Of CWM are AM
and Angle Modulation. Angle Modulation can be subdivided into AM and PM in
which the instantaneous freq and phase of the carrier are varied in accordance with
the BS.
 Pulse Modulation :- When the carrier wave is pulse-type waveform the mod
process is called pulse mod. In this carrier consists of periodic sequence of
rectangular pulses. Pulse Mod can be of 2 types – analog and digital type(also called
pulse-code mod). In analog pulse mod the amplitude, duration or position of a pulse
is varied in accordance with sample values of the message signal. The 3 types of
AnaPM are – PAM(P Amplitude M), PDM(P Duration M), PPM(P Position M).

Need for Modn/Benefits of Modn

1) Practicality of antenna :- In the case of free space messages are transmitted and
received with the help of antennas. For efficient radiation and reception the
transmitting and receiving antennas should have lengths comparable to a quarter
wavelength of the freq used(l=lambda/4). It is impractical to construct long
antennas, so height of the same is reduced by modn process. In modn process low
freq/audio signals are translated into to higher freq/radio freq. These RF with small
wavelength act as carriers for the audio signals.
2) To remove interference :- The freq range of audio signal is from 20Hz to 20kHz.
So radio stations emitting audio signals over the same range the message of different
stations get mixed up. In order to keep them separate it is necessary to translate or
shift them to diff portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thus each radio station is
allocated a band of freq.(Radio receiver a tuned ckt at the i/p selects the desired
station and rejects all other stations.)
3) Reduction of noise
Introduction to Signals

A signal is a set of information/data. Signals are processed by systems which may modify
them or extract additnal info from them.

Classification of Signals

1. Continuous-Time and discrete-Time Signals

2. Analog and Digital Signals
3. Periodic and Aperiodic Signals
4. Energy and Power Signals
5. Deterministic and Probabilistic signals