A Frequency-Shift Keying (FSK) modulator is a type of digital modulation technique used in communication systems to transmit digital data over a carrier signal by varying the carrier's frequency based on the input data. FSK is commonly used in applications like radio communications, wireless data transmission, and digital broadcasting.
The basic operation of an FSK modulator involves switching between two distinct carrier frequencies to represent binary data states (typically 0 and 1). Here's how it works:
Binary Data Source: The FSK modulator receives a stream of binary data as input. Each binary symbol (0 or 1) represents a specific piece of information.
Carrier Signals: FSK utilizes two carrier signals with distinct frequencies: one for the "0" state and another for the "1" state. Let's denote these frequencies as f0 and f1, respectively.
Frequency Switching: The modulator continuously monitors the input binary data stream. Whenever a "0" is encountered, the modulator switches the carrier frequency to f0. Conversely, when a "1" is encountered, the carrier frequency switches to f1.
Frequency Modulation: The act of switching between the carrier frequencies creates rapid changes in the transmitted signal's frequency. This frequency modulation encodes the binary data onto the carrier signal.
Waveform Generation: The modulator generates the modulated waveform by superimposing the switched carrier frequencies onto each other. This results in a signal that alternates between f0 and f1 based on the input binary data.
Transmission: The modulated waveform is then transmitted over the communication channel, which could be a wired or wireless medium.
Demodulation: At the receiver's end, a demodulator is used to detect the changes in carrier frequency and decode them back into binary data. The demodulator monitors the received signal's frequency shifts to reconstruct the original binary data.
It's important to note that the carrier frequencies f0 and f1 are chosen to be sufficiently different to avoid interference and to ensure accurate detection at the receiver's end. The choice of carrier frequencies depends on various factors including channel characteristics, noise, bandwidth availability, and data rate requirements.
In summary, an FSK modulator encodes digital data by switching between two carrier frequencies based on the input binary symbols. This modulation technique offers a simple and efficient way to transmit digital information over a communication channel while being relatively resilient to noise and interference.