Limiter: Difference between revisions
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Generally, FM demodulators are not affected by amplitude variations, since the baseband is contained in the frequency deviations. Some detectors, including the [[Detector (radio)#Ratio detector|ratio detector]], inherently limit gain by a nature of the circuit design. In [[AM radio]], the information is located in the amplitude variations, and distortion can occur due to spurious signals that could cause the baseband to be misrepresented. |
Generally, FM demodulators are not affected by amplitude variations, since the baseband is contained in the frequency deviations. Some detectors, including the [[Detector (radio)#Ratio detector|ratio detector]], inherently limit gain by a nature of the circuit design. In [[AM radio]], the information is located in the amplitude variations, and distortion can occur due to spurious signals that could cause the baseband to be misrepresented. |
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==In Aerospace and Military VHF Voice Communications== |
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For military two-way radio sets and aircraft VHF voice telecommunications, a special form of limiter is commonly used. It is designed to work with |
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high levels of background noise near the microphone. It usually operates by up-converting the audio signal to a supersonic frequency, hard limiting that signal, and |
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then down converting the result. The frequency conversion uses image-cancelling heterodyning. The advantage of clipping the supersonic signal is that the odd harmonics |
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produced will still be out-of-band when down converted. This is contrast to standard hard limiting, as in an electric guitar fuzz box, where the harmonics are highly audible. |
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This device ultimately gives a distinctive character to the voice communication, which despite being highly distorted, ensures spoken words remain clear. |
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==In audio production== |
==In audio production== |
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Revision as of 09:40, 18 April 2018
In electronics, a limiter is a circuit that allows signals below a specified input power or level to pass unaffected while attenuating (lowering) the peaks of stronger signals that exceed this threshold. Limiting is a type of dynamic range compression. Clipping is an extreme version of limiting.
Limiting is any process by which the amplitude of a signal is prevented from exceeding a predetermined value.
Limiters are common as a safety device in live sound and broadcast applications to prevent sudden volume peaks from occurring. Limiters are also used as protective features in some components of sound reinforcement systems (e.g., powered mixing boards and power amplifiers) and in some bass amplifiers, to prevent unwanted distortion or loudspeaker damage.
Types
Limiting can refer to non-linear clipping, in which a signal is passed through normally but "sheared off" when it would normally exceed a certain threshold. It can also refer to a type of variable-gain audio level compression, in which the gain of an amplifier is changed very quickly to prevent the signal from going over a certain amplitude.
- Hard limiting ("clipping") is a limiting action in which there is:
- (a) over the permitted dynamic range, negligible variation in the expected characteristic of the output signal, and
- (b) a steady-state signal, at the maximum permitted level, for the duration of each period when the output would otherwise be required to exceed the permitted dynamic range in order to correspond to the transfer function of the device.
- Soft limiting is limiting in which the transfer function of a device is a function of its instantaneous or integrated output level. The output waveform is therefore distorted, but not clipped.
In amplifiers
Bass instrument amplifiers and power amplifiers are more commonly equipped with limiter circuitry to prevent overloading the power amplifier and to protect speakers. Electric guitar amps do not usually have limiters.
PIN diodes can be used in limiter circuits to reflect the energy back to the source or clip the signal.[1]
In FM radio
An FM radio receiver usually has at least one stage of amplification for this purpose. It provides a constant level of signal to the FM demodulator stage, reducing the effect of signal level changes in the output. If two or more signals are received at the same time, a high performance limiter stage can greatly reduce the effect of the weaker signals on the output. This is commonly referred to as the FM capture effect.
Generally, FM demodulators are not affected by amplitude variations, since the baseband is contained in the frequency deviations. Some detectors, including the ratio detector, inherently limit gain by a nature of the circuit design. In AM radio, the information is located in the amplitude variations, and distortion can occur due to spurious signals that could cause the baseband to be misrepresented.
In Aerospace and Military VHF Voice Communications
For military two-way radio sets and aircraft VHF voice telecommunications, a special form of limiter is commonly used. It is designed to work with high levels of background noise near the microphone. It usually operates by up-converting the audio signal to a supersonic frequency, hard limiting that signal, and then down converting the result. The frequency conversion uses image-cancelling heterodyning. The advantage of clipping the supersonic signal is that the odd harmonics produced will still be out-of-band when down converted. This is contrast to standard hard limiting, as in an electric guitar fuzz box, where the harmonics are highly audible. This device ultimately gives a distinctive character to the voice communication, which despite being highly distorted, ensures spoken words remain clear.
In audio production
Mastering engineers often use limiting combined with make-up gain to increase the perceived loudness of an audio recording during the audio mastering process.[2]
See also
References
- ^ "PIN Limiter Diodes in Receiver Protectors" (PDF). Skyworks. Retrieved 2015-07-28.
- ^ Bob Katz (2015). Mastering Audio: the art and science (3rd ed.). Focal Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-240-81896-2.
