A variable frequency oscillator (VFO) in electronics is an oscillator whose frequency can be tuned (i.e., varied) over some range. It is a necessary component in any tunable radio transmitter and in receivers that works by the superheterodyne principle. The oscillator controls the frequency to which the apparatus is tuned.
In a simple superheterodyne receiver, the incoming radio frequency signal (at frequency ) from the antenna is mixed with the VFO output signal tuned to , producing an intermediate frequency (IF) signal that can be processed downstream to extract the modulated information. Depending on the receiver design, the IF signal frequency is chosen to be either the sum of the two frequencies at the mixer inputs (up-conversion), or more commonly, the difference frequency (down-conversion), .
In addition to the desired IF signal and its unwanted image (the mixing product of opposite sign above), the mixer output will also contain the two original frequencies, and and various harmonic combinations of the input signals. These undesired signals are rejected by the IF filter. If a double balanced mixer is employed, the input signals appearing at the mixer outputs are greatly attenuated, reducing the required complexity of the IF filter.
The advantage of using a VFO as a heterodyning oscillator is that only a small portion of the radio receiver (the sections before the mixer such as the preamplifier) need to have a wide bandwidth. The rest of the receiver can be finely tuned to the IF frequency.
In a direct-conversion receiver, the VFO is tuned to the same frequency as the incoming radio frequency and Hz. Demodulation takes place at baseband using low-pass filters and amplifiers.
In a radio frequency (RF) transmitter, VFOs are often used to tune the frequency of the output signal, often indirectly through a heterodyning process similar to that described above. Other uses include chirp generators for radar systems where the VFO is swept rapidly through a range of frequencies, timing signal generation for oscilloscopes and time domain reflectometers, and variable frequency audio generators used in musical instruments and audio test equipment.
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.
A direct-conversion receiver (DCR), also known as homodyne, synchrodyne, or zero-IF receiver, is a radio receiver design that demodulates the incoming radio signal using synchronous detection driven by a local oscillator whose frequency is identical to, or very close to the carrier frequency of the intended signal. This is in contrast to the standard superheterodyne receiver where this is accomplished only after an initial conversion to an intermediate frequency.
A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is an electronic oscillator whose oscillation frequency is controlled by a voltage input. The applied input voltage determines the instantaneous oscillation frequency. Consequently, a VCO can be used for frequency modulation (FM) or phase modulation (PM) by applying a modulating signal to the control input. A VCO is also an integral part of a phase-locked loop. VCOs are used in synthesizers to generate a waveform whose pitch can be adjusted by a voltage determined by a musical keyboard or other input.
A phase-locked loop or phase lock loop (PLL) is a control system that generates an output signal whose phase is related to the phase of an input signal. There are several different types; the simplest is an electronic circuit consisting of a variable frequency oscillator and a phase detector in a feedback loop. The oscillator's frequency and phase are controlled proportionally by an applied voltage, hence the term voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO).
Ce cours présente l'analyse et la conception des circuits et systèmes électroniques sous forme discrète et intégrée. L'accent est mis sur les applications dans le domaine des télécommunications.
Dans ce cours on étudie la dynamique modale des structures mécaniques. Conceptes clés comme Mode Normale, Mass et Raideur effective, et Fréquences Propres sont appris pendant ce cours.
This course introduces the principles of nonlinear optics, their use in photonic integrated circuits and the applications of this technology for telecommunication, spectroscopy and metrology.
This paper describes a balanced frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation, namely quasi-balanced FSK (QB-FSK), for energy-efficient high-data-rate communication. Not suffering from data-pattern dependency, the proposed modulation method enables frequency mod ...
The occurrence of manufacturing defects in wind turbine blade (WTB) production can result in significant increases in operation and maintenance costs of WTBs, reduce capacity factors of wind farms, and occasionally lead to severe and disastrous consequence ...
Nonlinear optical frequency conversion is one of the driving research areas in photonics. Its quasi instantaneous response and the promise of low power consumption in integrated structures could cover the demand for fast signal processing with minimal ener ...