An envelope detector is a simple electronic circuit that corrects and releases a high frequency signal as an envelope for the original signal. It is commonly used in audio equipment and portable radios due to its simplicity and efficiency, but may have issues with distortion and noise. Diode detectors and precision rectifiers are often combined to improve performance.
A simple electronic circuit that takes a high frequency signal as an input, corrects it, and releases the new signal as an envelope for the original signal is known as an envelope detector. Diode detectors and precision rectifiers are often combined to improve performance. Common applications include audio equipment such as electronic instruments and portable radios. Simplicity and efficiency are perhaps the most significant benefits of an envelope detector. Several disadvantages of using these devices are often outweighed by the advantages.
A high frequency input absorbed by an envelope detector typically passes through some component before being released as an envelope. Essentially, the rising edge of a signal is stored in a capacitor. As the input signal decreases, the energy stored in the capacitor flows through a resistor as the new output signal. In most envelope detectors, a diode is also part of the circuit and this diode usually rectifies the signal, creating the enveloped output.
Diode detectors typically have all the parts needed to receive and loop a signal, producing the desired output. To clean up the case, however, a precision rectifier is often added to a diode detector. This can filter out other input signals, leaving only the desired input to translate into better output.
Many of the applications for an envelope detector are related to audio equipment. For example, many electronic music instruments such as electric guitar or bass might use some form of envelope detector to change the sound. In addition, portable radios almost always contain a simple envelope detector capable of receiving and translating radio signals into sound.
Several advantages have made envelope detectors useful in many applications. Perhaps more importantly, an envelope detector is often considered simple because it contains only a few elements that can produce the desired effects. This simplicity typically means that the cost of an envelope detector is also low. Once configured for a specific task, most envelope detectors are also reliable and accurate.
The disadvantages of using an envelope detector are usually associated with the possibility of distortion. For example, most radios have less than perfect sound quality due to inconsistent input signals creating inconsistent or low quality envelopes. Also, many of these detectors are susceptible to noise from other types of transmission and the input must be filtered to compensate. Many of these disadvantages are acceptable, however, due to the value of envelope detectors, in general.
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