Coherent ASK detection

It is noteworthy in case of coherent detection (which is one part of the ASK

demodulation) that the carrier at the receiver must be in synchronization with the
carrier at the transmitter for accurate detection.

The figure below shows the process of coherent detection.

The demodulation circuitry consists of a product modulator along with an

integrator and a decision-making device. Here, the input to the product
modulator which is the signal cos(wct) is modulated waveform along with the
sinusoidal carrier (cos(wct)). The combination of the two (cos^2(wct)) is then fed
to the integrator that operates successively according to the bit interval. After
which it also executes low pass filtration of the signal.

Then the output of the integrator acts as input to the decision device. Also, a
preset threshold is provided to the decision-making device. The decision device
compares the signal at its input with the threshold value. When the signal
exceeds the threshold value then bit 1 is provided by the decision device as its
output. However, when the signal deceeds (be less than) the threshold value then
bit 0 is achieved.
Thus, in coherent ASK detector, the local carrier signal is in perfect
synchronization with the corresponding carrier signal as used in ASK
modulator on transmitter side. This means that the frequency and phase of the
locally generated carrier signal is same as those of carrier signal used in ASK
modulator.

Synchronization in Coherent ASK Detector

In fact, there are two forms of synchronization required for the operation of
coherent or synchronous ASK demodulator.

1) phase synchronization.

Phase synchronization ensures that the carrier signal generated locally in a

coherent ASK demodulator is locked in phase with respect to the one that is used
in ASK modulator.

2) timing synchronization

Timing synchronization enables proper timing of the decision-making operation in

the ASK demodulator with respect to the switching instants, that is switching
between 1 and 0 as in the original binary data.

Thus, we see that the coherent detector requires more elaborate equipment. It has
superior performance, especially when the signal-to-noise power ratio (S/N) is low.
Advantages

Efficient

Disadvantages

Costly because of the oscillator circuit

Applications

1. Broadcasting signals
2. fiber optic communication