Frequency-division multiplexing
Frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) is an analog multiplexing technique that enables the simultaneous transmission of multiple signals over a single communication channel by dividing the available bandwidth into non-overlapping frequency bands, with each band assigned to a separate signal modulated onto a distinct carrier frequency.[1][2] The core principle of FDM involves modulating each input signal—typically baseband signals like audio or voice—onto a unique carrier frequency using techniques such as amplitude modulation (AM) or single-sideband (SSB), then combining these modulated signals into a composite waveform for transmission.[1] At the receiver end, bandpass filters separate the bands, and demodulators recover the original signals, with guard bands—unused frequency spaces between channels—preventing crosstalk and interference.[1][2] This method contrasts with time-division multiplexing (TDM) by allocating frequency resources rather than time slots, making it suitable for continuous analog signals.[2] FDM traces its origins to the late 19th century, with early experimental systems in the 1860s and 1870s attempting acoustic and harmonic telegraphy to send multiple messages over wires using different tones, though practical implementation awaited advancements in electronics.[3] By the early 20th century, Guglielmo Marconi's 1900 patent for tuned circuits laid foundational technology for frequency separation in radio, enabling basic FDM.[4] Commercial viability emerged in the 1930s with vacuum tube-based carrier systems, revolutionizing telephony by allowing multiple voice channels over single lines.[5] Key milestones include the 1957 Kineplex system for military HF radio, which used 20 tones for data transmission, highlighting FDM's role in parallel signaling.[3] Historically, FDM dominated long-distance telephony, radio broadcasting, and microwave relay systems from the mid-20th century, supporting up to thousands of channels in hierarchies like voice-frequency groups (12 channels at 48 kHz) and supergroups (60 channels at 240 kHz) and mastergroups (600 channels at 2.4 MHz).[6][1] Applications extended to cable television, where it distributed multiple TV signals over coaxial cables, and early satellite communications.[1][2] In open-wire carrier systems, FDM transmitted calls at around 100 kHz with 4 kHz per channel, facilitating transcontinental networks until phased out by digital technologies in the 1990s.[6] While traditional FDM has largely been supplanted by digital methods like TDM and wavelength-division multiplexing in fiber optics due to higher efficiency and lower noise susceptibility, its legacy persists in modern variants such as orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), which eliminates guard bands through subcarrier orthogonality and underpins standards like Wi-Fi, LTE, and digital TV.[3][2] FDM's emphasis on spectral allocation remains fundamental to multi-user wireless systems, ensuring robust signal separation in bandwidth-constrained environments.[2]Fundamental Principles
Core Concept
Frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) is an analog multiplexing technique that enables the simultaneous transmission of multiple signals over a shared communication medium by allocating each signal to a distinct, non-overlapping frequency band within the available bandwidth of the medium.[7] This approach divides the total spectrum into narrower sub-bands, separated by guard bands to minimize interference, allowing efficient use of the medium's capacity for applications like voice and data transmission. In FDM, baseband signals—such as audio or low-frequency data—are first modulated onto separate carrier frequencies to shift them into their assigned spectral slots, ensuring no overlap and thus preventing crosstalk between channels.[7] The modulation process typically employs techniques such as amplitude modulation (AM) or, more efficiently, single-sideband suppressed-carrier (SSB-SC) modulation, particularly in telephony to minimize bandwidth usage by transmitting only one sideband along with a suppressed carrier.[8] In AM, the amplitude of a high-frequency carrier wave is varied in accordance with the baseband signal, while the carrier's frequency remains constant; this produces sidebands around the carrier that occupy the designated band without altering the baseband content.[9] The modulated signals are then combined linearly into a composite multiplexed signal for transmission over the medium, such as a cable or radio link. The basic FDM transmission process can be illustrated by the following simplified block diagram of the multiplexing stage:Here, each baseband input is modulated onto its unique carrier frequency, and the outputs are summed to form the composite signal.[7] At the receiver end, bandpass filters isolate each band, followed by demodulation to recover the original signals. A practical example of FDM is the transmission of multiple voice channels over a single coaxial cable, where each voice signal (occupying a baseband of about 4 kHz) is modulated to a separate carrier and combined, allowing dozens or more channels to share the cable's bandwidth efficiently.[7]Input Signal 1 ──► Modulator (Carrier f1) ──┐ Input Signal 2 ──► Modulator (Carrier f2) ──┤ Input Signal N ──► Modulator (Carrier fN) ──┤ │ ▼ Linear Combiner │ ▼ [Multiplexed Output Signal](/page/Multiplexing)Input Signal 1 ──► Modulator (Carrier f1) ──┐ Input Signal 2 ──► Modulator (Carrier f2) ──┤ Input Signal N ──► Modulator (Carrier fN) ──┤ │ ▼ Linear Combiner │ ▼ [Multiplexed Output Signal](/page/Multiplexing)