Transceivers are mechanical devices that combine a radio transmitter and a radio receiver. It can both transmit and receive radio waves for communication purposes. The transceiver is part of the network input card in a local area network. It can both send and receive messages over the network wire. But some types of networks need a receiver that is outside the network. The transceiver is built into mobile devices that use wireless transmission, such as smartphones and cell phones. It is a combination of transmitter and receiver in a single term. It can do both, transmit and receive radio waves for communication purpose , with the help of an antenna.

What is Transceiver?

A transceiver is a TRANSmitter – reCEIVER, a wired or wireless device or system that sends and gets analog or digital data. 

Transceivers allow for two-way communication by sending and receiving data, voice, or other types of signals over a communication medium such as radio waves or optical fibers. It comes in various forms. It is used to convert intermediate frequency to radio frequency. A transmitter and receiver share the circuitry to work and operate.

Working of Transceiver

In a transceiver, the listener won’t hear the signals when the emitter sends them. The transmitter and receiver can be linked to the same antenna with the help of an electric switch. This keeps the emitter’s signal from hurting the receiver. 

The transceiver generates a signal, which could be electrical optical, or radiofrequency, depending on the medium of communication. The signal is then subjected to modulation. The modulated signal is then sent out through an antenna or through a cable. At the receiving end, another transceiver is waiting to capture the incoming signal. Then finally the signal gets subjected to demodulation and transmitted data gets recovered and the data gets provided to system for further processing or display.  

Working of Transceiver

In a sort of transceiver that is characterized as having half-duplex capabilities, it is not feasible to acquire signals while the device is sending. Some of the transceivers, also known as duplexes, are intended to be able to receive signals at all stages of the transmission process. Both the transmitter and the receiver work at distinct frequencies, which prevents the signal from the transmitter from interfering with the signal from the reception. Phones that are cordless as well as cellular phones employ this mode of operation. 

Transceiver Connection

Follow these steps to make a secure connection of Transceiver –

• Before installing, make sure that both the wire and the transmitter are clean.
• Take off any plugs that protect the device and wire.
• Place a cable so that the key, which is the ridge on one side of the cable connection, lines up with the transceiver’s hole.
• Put the wire into the transceiver until you hear the click of the locking device. There is only one way to plug in a cable because it has a key.
• If a wire does not go in easily, make sure it is facing the right way.
• Join the antenna to the radio receiver. Signal strength can be affected by the type of receiver and where it is placed.
• Set the receiver to the frequency or channel you want to use.
• Grounding the transmitter will keep it safe and reduce electrical interference, which is especially important for outdoor setups.
• To help you communicate through the transmitter, you can connect a microphone or a headset to it.
• After you have completed all the necessary setup steps, you can begin interacting with other transceiver users on the frequency or channel you have selected. Maintain the appropriate manners and standards for communicating.

Transceiver Structure and Design

A Wireless Transceiver should have these basic important blocks.

• Antenna or Antenna array
• Duplexer
• Transmitter section
• Receiver section

Transceivers Structure and Design

Antenna or Antenna array

Antenna array is made of similar antenna elements . So in order to transmit and receive signals one or more antennas are used. Transmitting antenna receives current and generate EM waves as output where they can be received by more antennas.

Duplexer

Isolating one segment from another that is connected at a single point allows for bidirectional communication to take place along a single channel without the need for additional connections. In a typical arrangement, the transmitter route in transceivers is partitioned off from the receiving portion. Such that the signal being broadcast does not cause interference with the segment being received.

Transmitter Section

In this stage, the signal at the base band is changed into the transmission signal so that it can satisfy the criteria of the subsequent wireless transmissions. Modulation, carrier mixing, and encoding are the fundamental procedures that need to be completed before the transmission can begin. To boost the power of the transmission signal, a power amplifier is utilized. The power of the signal is first amplified, and then it is transferred via the transmitter antenna.

Receiver Section

The receiver part includes a demodulator, a decoder, a low noise amplifier, and the antenna for the receiver. The signal that was received ought to have the necessary SNR value. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the transmitted signal drops due to the many events during transmission.

Types of Transceivers

Some of the types of Transceivers are as follows:

• RF Transceivers
• Fiber Optic Transceiver
• Ethernet Transceivers
• Wireless Transceivers

 RF Transceivers (Radio Frequency)

A device known as a radio frequency (RF) transceiver can transmit and receive radio signals. A radio frequency (RF) transceiver combines the capabilities of a transmitter and a receiver into a single device. Common devices containing RF transceivers include citizens’ band radios, walkie-talkies, cordless phones, cellphones, and computers capable of using a wireless network

RF TRANSCEIVERS

Fiber Optic Transceiver

Common other names for this product include optics module, optical module, and fiber optical transceiver. Fiber optic technology is used for data transmission in this gadget. Here, light sources like VSCELs, DFB lasers, and FPs can be used to send data. 

Ethernet Transceivers

To send and receive data through a network, electrical gadgets and computers can be linked with the help of an Ethernet transceiver. Ethernet transceivers can also be called MAUs (media access units). Collision detection, digital data conversion, Ethernet interface processing, and network access are some of the primary roles of this transceiver.     

Wireless Transceivers

The physical layer and the media access control layer are the two main functional layers of wireless transceivers. An RF front end and baseband processor make up the physical layer; the latter converts a bitstream into a sequence of symbols for transmission.

Wireless Transceiver

Key Features and Functions of Transceivers  

• Modulation and Demodulation: They can modulate outgoing signals for transmission and demodulate incoming signals for reception. Modulation involves encoding data onto a carrier signal for transmission, while demodulation extracts the original data from received signals.
• Signal Amplification: Transceivers can amplify signals for transmission, ensuring that they are strong enough to travel over long distances or through various media. 
• Frequency Conversion: Some transceivers can change the frequency of the signals, allowing for compatibility with several types of networks or devices. 
• Signal Encoding/Decoding: They often handle encoding and decoding schemes to represent digital data as analog signals for transmission and vice versa.

Difference Between Transceiver and Transmitter