What is a balanced modulator?

A balanced modulator is specifically designed to generate a double sideband, suppressed carrier (DSBSC) signal. This means that it takes the input signals and modulates them in such a way that the carrier frequency is suppressed, leaving only the upper and lower sidebands. In practical terms, this offers advantages in terms of power efficiency and bandwidth utilization, as there is less energy wasted on the carrier signal that is not needed for effective signal transmission.

The key distinction of a balanced modulator is its ability to produce this type of modulation without allowing the carrier signal to be present in the output. This results in a more efficient use of the available power and bandwidth, making it especially advantageous for certain types of communication systems where efficient spectrum usage is critical.

Options discussing amplitude modulation and single sideband modulation refer to different modulation techniques that either retain the carrier signal or focus only on one sideband. In the context of a balanced modulator, the emphasis is distinctly on suppressing the carrier, highlighting the dual sidebands that contain the necessary information for the transmitted signal. Thus, the correct answer aligns perfectly with the fundamental purpose and operation of a balanced modulator.