Amplitude Shift Keyed Radio Communications for Hostile Environments

This work presents the amplitude modulation radio transmission system for communications in hostile environments. The commissioning of a high temperature oscillator and AM mixer system for the purpose of Amplitude Shift Keyed modulation is presented. While previous work has demonstrated oscillators in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band, these have been targeted at applications such as radar and mobile telephones. In this paper we have concentrated on the shortwave bands to maximize the range between a sensor unit and the receiver within wireless networks. The work demonstrates that simple communication systems are already possible for hostile environments and allow for simple sensor data to be wirelessly transmitted to safer working areas.