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Complex modulation
Complex modulation is not difficult to understand at the very basics. We take have 2 baseband
signals - for now, I and Q, where one is sine, and the other is cosine.
Since we know through trig identities (plus Wikipedia says it's true) that:
then:
these are the two signals coming out of the DAC - two sine waves, phase offset from each other,
which we call I and Q, like the picture. Whether we call them both sine, or sine and cosine, is
immaterial. Sometimes both are used, whatever is easier for the (a) math, or (b) conceptual
understanding, and many people will swap back and forth depending on what is being discussed at
that time.
Most modern modulators, like the ADL5375 will take the:
but we end up with the same thing -- a single tone on the RF output by taking three tones (I, Q, and
LO) and multiplying and adding them.
Modulation
Starting to modulating signal, just from an amplitude perspective:
This doesn't really match with Trig Identities, and it's easier to use easier (and by that I mean
possible) to use Euler's Formulas
therefore:
and then:
and then:
If this is due to amplitude mismatch, this creates something (an image) on the other side of the local
oscillator.