The Modulation Museum
From AM to 1024-QAM — how we squeeze information onto radio carriers. Watch signals modulate in real time, explore constellation diagrams, and calculate Shannon capacity.
Signal Lab
Three stacked waveforms: the message you want to send, the carrier you ride it on, and the modulated output that actually leaves the antenna. Eight schemes — analog (AM/FM/PM/DSB-SC) and digital (ASK/FSK/BPSK/QPSK).
The Collection
36 modulation schemes spanning 120 years — from Fessenden's AM voice broadcast to 5G's flexible numerology. Click any card to copy its description.
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From Fessenden to 5G
Milestones from 1906 (first audio over radio) to 2020 (5G NR flexible numerology) — modulation evolves to fit each new generation's bandwidth.
Hands-on Instruments
Watch a constellation diagram fuzz under noise, calculate the Shannon channel-capacity ceiling, and compare the per-scheme bits/symbol-vs-SNR trade.
Shannon's 1948 formula sets the maximum bit rate for a noisy channel: C = B · log₂(1 + SNR). Every modulation scheme is measured against this ceiling.
Quick comparison of bits per symbol, required SNR, and example deployments. Higher-order modulations pack more bits into each symbol, but need progressively cleaner channels.