Product detector
A product detector is like a special machine that helps us understand and listen to radio signals. Radio signals are like invisible waves that carry messages from one place to another. But, our ears cannot directly understand these invisible waves. We need a product detector to hear these signals clearly.
It works like this: First, the radio signal is captured by the antenna and sent to the product detector. The detector breaks down the signal into 2 parts – one is called the carrier wave and the other is called the audio wave. The carrier wave is like the parent or the main signal, and the audio wave is like a smaller baby signal that carries the message.
Now, the product detector does something very clever – it multiplies or mixes the carrier wave with a special signal called the Local Oscillator (LO). This special signal is used to get rid of the carrier wave and just leave behind the baby audio wave.
Imagine you have a plate of cookies and you see some raisins on them. If you use a strainer or a filter to remove the raisins and keep only the cookie dough, that's what the product detector does with the radio signal. It removes the carrier wave (the raisins) and keeps only the audio wave (the cookie dough).
And that's how we can use a product detector to listen to radio signals and understand the messages they carry.
It works like this: First, the radio signal is captured by the antenna and sent to the product detector. The detector breaks down the signal into 2 parts – one is called the carrier wave and the other is called the audio wave. The carrier wave is like the parent or the main signal, and the audio wave is like a smaller baby signal that carries the message.
Now, the product detector does something very clever – it multiplies or mixes the carrier wave with a special signal called the Local Oscillator (LO). This special signal is used to get rid of the carrier wave and just leave behind the baby audio wave.
Imagine you have a plate of cookies and you see some raisins on them. If you use a strainer or a filter to remove the raisins and keep only the cookie dough, that's what the product detector does with the radio signal. It removes the carrier wave (the raisins) and keeps only the audio wave (the cookie dough).
And that's how we can use a product detector to listen to radio signals and understand the messages they carry.