Chapter-15: Communication Systems

• Elements of Communication:

• Two Basic Modes of Communication:

a) Point to point
b) Broadcast
• Point to Point Mode of Communication:
Here, communication takes place over a link between a single transmitter and a receiver.
Telephony is an example of such a mode of communication.
• Broadcast Mode of Communication:
Here, there are a large number of receivers corresponding to a single transmitter. Radio
and television are examples of broadcast mode of communication.
• Analog Mode of Transmission:
An analog message is physical quantity that varies with time usually in a smooth and
continuous fashion.
• Digital Mode of Transmission:
A digital message is an ordered sequence of symbols selected from a finite set of discrete
elements.
• Operational advantages of digital communication system over analog
communication systems:
1. An improved security message.
2. Increased immunity to noise and external interference.
3. A common format for encoding different kinds of message signals for the purpose of
transmission.
4. Flexibility in configuration digital communication system.
• Basic Terminology used in Electronic Communication Systems:
Transducer, signal, noise, transmitter, receiver, attenuation, amplification, range,
bandwidth, modulation, demodulation, repeater
• Undesirable Effects in the Source of Signal Transmission:
Attenuation, distortion, interference and noise are the undesirable effects in the source
of signal transmission.
• Bandwidth of Signals:
 a) The speech signal requires a bandwidth of 2800 Hz (3100 Hz – 300 Hz) for
commercial telephonic communication.
b) For frequencies produced by musical instruments, the audible range of frequencies
extends from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
c) Video signals for transmission of pictures require about 4.2 MHz of bandwidth.
d) A TV signal contains both voice and picture and is usually allocated 6 MHz of
bandwidth for transmission.
• Bandwidth of Transmission Medium:
The commonly used transmission media are wire, free space and fiber optic cable.
• Propagation of Electromagnetic Waves:
For transmission over long distances, signals are radiated into space using devices called
antennas. The radiated signals propagate as electromagnetic waves and the mode of
propagation is influenced by the presence of the earth and its atmosphere. Near the
surface of the earth, electromagnetic waves propagate as surface waves. Surface wave
propagation is useful up to a few MHz frequencies. Long distance communication
between two points on the earth is achieved through reflection of electromagnetic waves
by ionosphere. Such waves are called sky waves. Sky wave propagation takes place up to
frequency of about 30 MHz. Above this frequency, electromagnetic waves essentially
propagate as space waves. Space waves are used for line-of-sight communication and
satellite communication.

• Radio Wave Propagation is by Space Waves:

• Modulation:
The process of changing some characteristic such as amplitude, frequency or phase of a
carrier wave in accordance with the intensity of the signal is known as modulation.
• Types of Modulation:
a) Amplitude modulation
b) Frequency modulation
c) Phase modulation.
• Amplitude Modulation:
The amplitude of the carrier wave changes according to the intensity of the signal. The
amplitude variation of the carrier wave is at the signal frequency fs .
• Production of Amplitude Modulated Wave:
Amplitude modulated waves can be produced by application of the message signal and
the carrier wave to a non-linear device, followed by a band pass filter.

• Modulation Factor:
The ratio of change of amplitude of carrier wave to the amplitude of normal carrier wave
is called modulation factor (m).
• Classification of Pulse Modulation:
Pulse modulation could be classified as: Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM), Pulse
Duration Modulation (PDM) or Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and Pulse Position
Modulation (PPM).
• Demodulation:
Demodulation is the process of recovering the signal intelligence from a modulated
carrier wave.
• Transmitter:

• Receiver:
• Detection of an AM signal:
AM detection, which is the process of recovering the modulating signal from an AM
waveform, is carried out using a rectifier and an envelope detector.

• Internet:
It permits communication and sharing of all types of information between any two or
more computers connected through a large and complex network.
The application includes,
a) E- mail c) WWW e) Chat
b) File transfer d) E- commerce
• Mobile Telephony:
The concept of this system is to divide the service area into a suitable number of cells
centred on an office called MTSO (Mobile Telephone Switching Office). Each cell contains
a low-power transmitter called a base station and caters to a large number of mobile
receivers (popularly called cell phones). When a mobile receiver crosses the coverage
area of one base station, it is necessary for the mobile user to be transferred to another
base station. This procedure is called handover or handoff.
• Facsimile (FAX):
It scans the contents of a document (as an image, not text) to create electronic signals.
These signals are then sent to the destination (another FAX machine) in an orderly
manner using telephone lines.Then the signals are reconverted into a replica of the
original document.
 28
Communication Systems
1. An AM wave has 1800 W of total power 3. A signal of frequency 10 kHz and peak
content for 100% modulation the carrier voltage 10V is used to amplitude modulate a
should have power content equal to carrier of frequency 1 MHz and peak voltage
[18 Sep. 2020, Shift-I]
20 V. The side-band frequencies in kHz are
[20 April 2019, Shift-I]
(a) 1000 W (b) 1200 W
(c) 1500 W (d) 1600 W (a) 1010, 990 (b) 910, 1090
(c) 10, 11 (d) 1.01, 0.99
Sol. (b)
Sol. (a)
Total power of AM wave, Pt = 1800 W
Given, frequency of signal, fs = 10 kHz
For 100% modulation, depth of modulation,
peak voltage, Vp = 10 V
m =1
carrier frequency, fc = 1 mHz
If Pc be the carrier power, then we know that,
and peak voltage, Vc = 20 V
 m2 
Pt = Pc 1 +  ∴The side band frequencies are given as
 2
f = fc ± fs
Pt = Pc 1 + 
1
⇒ Putting the given values, we get
 2
f = 1 × 106 ± 10 × 103 Hz = (1000 ± 10) 103 Hz
3
⇒ Pt = Pc So, the side band frequencies in kHz is1010 kHz
2
2 2 and 990 kHz.
⇒ Pc = Pt = × 1800 = 1200 W
3 3 4. A TV tower has a height of 5 m in a region of
1000
2. A speech signal of 3 kHz is used to modulate population density per square
a carrier signal of frequency 1 MHz, using π
amplitude modulation. The frequencies of kilometre. Number of people that can receive
the side bands will be [22 Sep. 2020, Shift-II] the transmission is nearly, (in thousands)
[20 April 2019, Shift-II]
(a) 1.003 MHz and 0.997 MHz
(b) 3001 kHz and 2997 kHz (a) 128 (b) 64
(c) 1003 kHz and 1000 kHz (c) 256 (d) 32
(d) 1.0 MHz and 0.997 MHz Sol. (b)
Sol. (a) Given, height of a TV tower, h = 5 m
Frequency of carrier signal, fc = 1 MHz 1000
population density, n =
Frequency of message (speech) signal, π
fm = 3kHz = 0.003 MHz Now, the maximum range of this transmission
depends upon the height of transmitting
∴ Frequency of upper side band = fc + fm
antenna and is given by d = 2 h Re .
= 1 + 0.003 = 1.003 MHz
where, h = height of tower
Frequency of lower side band = fc − fm
and Re = Radius of earth (R > > h)
= 1 − 0.003 = 0.997 MHz
244 AP EAMCET Chapterwise Physics

So, the number of people received the 7. A TV tower has a height 160 m. Its coverage
transmission,
range is nearly (Earth’s radius, Re = 6400 km)
Population covered, (Pc) = population density [22 April 2019, Shift-I]
(n) × area of transmission range (A)
(a) 45255 m (b) 55265 m
Population covered, (Pc) = n × A
(c) 452.55 km (d) 552.65 m
1000
Pc = × π d2
π Sol. (a)
Area of transmission range, Given, height of a TV tower, h = 160 m
A = πd 2 or Pc = 1000 × 2h Re [Q d 2 = 2h Re ] Radius of earth, R = 6400 km = 6.4 × 106 m
−3
or Pc = 1000 × 2 × 5 × 10 × 6400 Coverage range of TV tower is given by
or Pc = 64000 d = 2Rh = 2 × 6.4 × 106 × 160
So, the number of people received the = 45254.8 = 45255 m
transmission is 64000.
8. Co-axial cable, a widely used wire medium
5. A transmitting antenna of height 20 m and for transmission of signals offers a bandwith
the receiving antenna of height h are of approximately. [22 April 2019, Shift-II]
separated by a distance of 40 km for (a) 600 kHz (b) 750 MHz
satisfactory communication in line of sight (c) 850 GHz (d) 500 Hz
(Los) mode. Then the value of h is Sol. (b)
(Give, radius of earth is 6400 km.) Co-axial cable primarily used for transmission
[21 April 2019, Shift-I] of radio, television signals, which are in range
of 3 MHz to 3 GHz.
(a) 40 m (b) 45 m
So, the band width,
(c) 30 m (d) 25 m
∆f = f1 − f2 = (3000 − 3) × MHz ≈ 3000 MHz
Sol. (b) Hence, the nearby option is (b).
Given, height of transmitting antenna
hT = 20 m, distance of LOS, dm = 40 km 9. If E c and E m are peak values of carrier and
As maximum distance of line of sight mode modulating signals, respectively then for
dm = 2RhT + 2RhR 100% modulation, [21 April 2019, Shift-II]
Em E2
putting the given values, we get (a) Ec = (b) c = Em2 (c) Ec = Em (d) Ec = 2 Em
2 2
40 = 2 × 6.4 × 103 × 20 × 10− 3
Sol. (c)
+ 2 × 6.4 × 103 × hR × 10− 3 Key idea Modulation index of a modulated signal is
E
40 = 16 + 2 × 6.4 × 10 × 10
3 −3
× hR µ= m
Ec
⇒ 2 × 6.4 × hT = 24 × 24
Where, E m and E c are peak values of modulating
⇒ hT = 45 m signal and carrier signal.
Hence, the correct option is (b). For 100% modulation, modulation index should
be unity.
6. The frequency suitable for
E
beyond-the-horizon communication using Hence, µ = 1 = m ⇒ Em = Ec
sky waves is [21 April 2019, Shift-II]
Ec
(a) 1012 Hz (b) 109 Hz ∴The correct option is (c).
(c) 107 Hz (d) 104 Hz 10. If a message signal of frequency 10 kHz and
Sol. (c) peak voltage 12 V is used to modulate a
The frequency suitable for beyond-the-horizon carrier wave of frequency 1 MHz, the
communication using sky wave is 10 MHz (107 Hz). modulation index is 0.6. To make the
Sky wave is radio wave which is directed towards modulation index 0.75, the carrier peak
the sky and reflected back by the ionosphere voltage should be [22 April 2018, Shift-I]
towards the desired location on the earth. (a) decreased by 25% (b) increased by 25%
(c) decreased by 20% (d) increased by 20%
Communication Systems 245

Sol. (c) 12. A TV transmitter has a range of 50 km. The

Vpeak, signal height of the TV transmitter is _______
Modulation index, M =
Vpeak, carrier (Radius of the earth, Re = 6 ⋅ 4 × 10 6 m)
Let’s write Vpeak, carrier = V [23 April 2018, Shift-I]
12 (a) 195.3 m (b) 186.5 m (c) 206 m (d) 175 m
In first case, 0.6 =
V Sol. (a)
⇒ V = 20 V Range, d = 2Re hT
12
In second case, 0.75 = 50 km = 2 × 6.4 × 106 × hT
V′
12 2500 × 106 = 128 × 105 hT
⇒ V′ = = 16 V
25000
0.75 = hT
Change in peak voltage of carrier wave 128
∆V = 20 − 16 = 4V hT = 195.3
4
% change = × 100% = 20% (decrement) 13. If the height of the transmitting tower is
20 increased by 30%, then the area covered by it
11. The maximum distance between the increases by [23 April 2018, Shift-II]
transmitting and receiving TV towers is (a) 10% (b) 21% (c) 30% (d) 60%
65 km. If the ratio of the heights of the TV Sol. (c)
transmitting tower to receiving tower is Area covered by a transmission tower of height
36 : 49, the heights of the transmitting and h is
receiving towers respectively are (radius of A = 2πRh
earth = 6400 km) [22 April 2018, Shift-II] ⇒ A∝h
(a) 51.2 m, 80 m (b) 70.3 m, 95.7 m So, if height is increased by 30%, area of
(c) 30 m, 65 m (d) 25 m, 75 m coverage also increases by 30%.
Sol. (b) 14. A modulated signal is given by
hT 36
Here, = … (i) t = Ac sin ω ct + µAc sinω mt sinω ct, where µ
C m()
hR 49 is modulation index. To keep the signal
without distortion, the value of µ should be
[24 April 2018, Shift-I]
(a) > 1 (b) ≥ 1 (c) = 1 (d) ≤ 1
hT Sol. (d)
hR
Modulation index µ is given by
A
65 km µ= m
Ac
dmaximum = 2RhT + 2RhR where, Am and Ac are amplitude of modulating
wave and carrier wave.
or 65 = 2RhT + 2RhR … (ii) ⇒ To keep signal without distortion,
From Eqs. (i) and (ii), we get Am ≤ Ac
hT = 70.3 m i.e. µ ≤1
and hR = 957
. m