phase modulator

phase modulator [′fāz ‚mäj·ə‚lād·ər]

(electronics)

An electronic circuit that causes the phase angle of a modulated wave to vary (with respect to an unmodulated carrier) in accordance with a modulating signal.

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Phase modulator

An electronic circuit that causes the phase angle of the modulated wave to vary (with respect to the unmodulated carrier) in accordance with the modulating signal. Since frequency is the rate of change of phase, a phase modulator will produce the characteristics of frequency modulation (FM) if the frequency characteristics of the modulating signal are so altered that the modulating voltage is inversely proportional to frequency. Commercial FM transmitters normally employ a phase modulator because a crystal-controlled oscillator can then be used to meet the strict carrier-frequency control requirements of the Federal Communications Commission. The chief disadvantage of phase modulators is that they generally produce insufficient frequency-deviation ratios, or modulation index, for satisfactory noise suppression. Frequency multiplication can be used, however, to increase the modulation index to the desired value, since the frequency deviation is multiplied along with the carrier frequency. See Phase-modulation detector

Many types of phase modulators have been devised. A simple modulator is shown in the illustration. In this circuit the modulating voltage changes the capacitance of the varactor diode. The phase shift depends upon the relative magnitudes of the capacitive reactance of the varactor diode and the load resistance R. Therefore the phase shift varies with the modulating voltage and phase modulation (PM) is accomplished. However, the phase shift is not linearly related to the modulating voltage if the PM exceeds a few degrees, because the phase shift is not linearly related to the capacitance and the capacitance of the varactor diode is not linearly related to the modulating voltage. See Varactor