FCC Exam Question: 3-59H5

In a pulse-position modulation system, what parameter does the modulating signal vary?

A. The number of pulses per second.
B. The time at which each pulse occurs.
C. Both the frequency and amplitude of the pulses.
D. The duration of the pulses.
Correct Answer: B

Explanation: In Pulse-Position Modulation (PPM), the amplitude and duration (width) of the individual pulses are kept constant. Instead, the instantaneous amplitude of the modulating signal determines the *position* or timing of each pulse within a given time window. A larger modulating signal amplitude might shift a pulse earlier, while a smaller amplitude shifts it later, relative to a reference point. Therefore, the modulating signal directly varies the time at which each pulse occurs. * **A) The number of pulses per second:** This is not how PPM works; the pulse repetition rate is typically constant or controlled separately. * **C) Both the frequency and amplitude of the pulses:** In PPM, the pulse amplitude is constant. While the *rate* of pulses might imply a frequency, the pulses themselves don't have varying frequency. This describes aspects of analog modulation (AM/FM) rather than pulse modulation. * **D) The duration of the pulses:** Varying the duration (or width) of pulses describes Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM), another distinct type of pulse modulation.

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Includes Elements 1, 3, 6, 7R, 8, and 9.