Why is it crucial to maintain a filter bandwidth that is slightly greater than the bandwidth of the received signal?

Maintaining a filter bandwidth that is slightly greater than the bandwidth of the received signal is essential to ensure all signal components are captured. When a filter is designed with a bandwidth that closely matches but slightly exceeds the bandwidth of the incoming signal, it helps in accommodating slight variations in the signal frequency and avoids cutting off any part of the signal.

This is particularly important for complex signals, which may have multiple frequency components. If the filter bandwidth is too narrow, some of the critical frequency components of the signal could be lost, leading to an incomplete representation of the original signal. Properly capturing all signal components enhances the overall quality and fidelity of the received information.

While avoiding distortion, filtering out noise, and enhancing selectivity are relevant considerations in filtering, the primary reason for ensuring that the filter bandwidth is slightly greater than the signal bandwidth specifically centers around the completeness of signal capture.