What Is a Demodulator?
A demodulator is a device engineered to extract original data from a modulated transmission.
In modulation, data is encoded by varying a carrier wave’s amplitude, frequency, or phase. The demodulator’s role is to remove this carrier wave, reverting the data to its initial state.
Devices that incorporate both modulators and demodulators are known as modems. These are vital in transmission over mediums like telephone lines. The processes of converting signals with Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC) and Digital-to-Analog Converters (DAC), as well as modulating and demodulating with modulators and demodulators, are distinct yet often collectively referred to under the term ‘modem,’ which can cause some confusion.