Amplitude-shift keying (ASK) is a form of
modulation that represents
digital data as variations in the
amplitude of a
carrier wave.The amplitude of an analog carrier
signal varies in accordance with the bit stream (modulating signal), keeping
frequency and
phase constant. The level of amplitude can be used to represent
binary logic 0s and 1s. We can think of a carrier signal as an ON or OFF switch. In the modulated signal, logic 0 is represented by the absence of a carrier, thus giving OFF/ON keying operation and hence the name given.
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