What types of signal repeaters are there? Types and purpose

Repeaters are signal transmission devices designed to amplify and retransmit radio signals between distant radio transmitters. They are divided into passive and active, and differ in their functionality, hardware and location. But what types of signal repeaters are there? We will discuss the types and their purpose below.

Radio communication related equipment

Repeaters operating in passive mode, on the contrary, are electrically conductive or mechanical objects that, in fact, scatter or reflect radiation of an electromagnetic nature at frequencies in the operating frequency range. As intermediate communication points, they serve for directional transmission of signals without changing their parameters.

Unlike passive ones, repeaters with active equipment are transmitting and receiving devices installed at points in subsequent intervals networks. They improve the signals received at the receiver and transmit them to the next points. Such devices can be placed on stationary objects. These are towers, for example, radio relay lines, or moving objects, including vehicles, airplanes or even space satellites. Active devices are equipped with antennas, radio receivers, transmitters, batteries and control and monitoring systems.

What types of signal repeaters are there?

GLONASS and GPS system repeaters are hardware equipment that is usually used to repeat and amplify GLONASS and GPS signals.

You probably don’t know yet, but GLONASS and GPS are special navigation systems developed by different countries: the USA is behind GPS, and Russia is behind GLONASS. They differ not only in the country of origin, but also in the number of satellites. GPS includes more than 30 satellites, while GLONASS has about 24. There is also a difference in the frequencies used – GLONASS operates in the frequency range 1.602 – 1.6875 GHz, and GPS uses frequencies 1.2276 and 1.57542 GHz. This affects the coverage of the systems: GLONASS covers more northern latitudes due to the characteristics of the satellites’ orbit.

Despite the differences, both systems provide similar location accuracy. However, signal accuracy may vary slightly in different parts of the city or at the foot of the mountains. At the same time, many navigation devices, such as smartphones or car navigators, use both systems simultaneously to accurately determine geolocations and improve stability. Despite the differences in technical aspects, both systems serve the same purpose – to ensure reliability in positioning in absolutely any location on the planet.

Equipment can be active or passive, and also vary in type of electronic schemes and relative position. Passive and, naturally, active relay devices designed for GLONASS and GPS systems have different functionality and signal processing capabilities. Active repeaters are distinguished by their ability not only to repeat signals, but also to amplify them using built-in amplifiers, which improves both the quality and range of information transmission. They depend on an external power source to power these amplifiers, be it a battery or another power source. Passive repeaters, on the contrary, do not have built-in amplifiers and simply forward signals without changing their power or quality. They operate without the need for additional power, as they do not have active amplifiers. 

The choice between an active and passive repeater depends on the specific tasks that users set for themselves. Active transmitters provide the most stable and strong signal through amplification, but require a constant source of energy. But passive repeaters, without requiring power, do nothing with the signal, transmitting it in its original form, which can be useful in certain situations where simple data transfer is necessary.

Mobile (or cellular) communication repeaters

Devices for relaying mobile or cellular communications are equipment that is used to repeat and further transmit cellular signals emanating from antenna towers. As in other areas, repeaters and amplifiers can participate in active or passive mode, and also differ in the type of equipment and relative location.

Wi-Fi technology signals and its relay

Wi-Fi repeaters are devices that amplify and repeat signal transmission without distorting the radio signals of Wi-Fi sources. As with other types of similar equipment, they can be passive or active based on their operating principle and have some differences in technology.

Broadcast and retransmit signals for television and radio

Such equipment can also be passive and active, with corresponding differences in principles, technologies and electronic equipment. They may also differ in types of equipment and relative positions.

Optical relay and related equipment

Optical repeaters are key components in common optical networks, such as those that power the Internet or modern television. The main task of optical repeaters is to convert signals to maintain the integrity of information during transmission. They act as amplifiers, improving quality and compensating for losses that occur during transmission over long distances.

Optical repeaters are used in various fields, including telecommunications, medical equipment and other areas where efficient data transmission over optical communication lines is required. Their use significantly increases the efficiency of networks and ensures stable transmission of information over long distances.

From strengthening GPS and GLONASS signals to expanding the ranges of Wi-Fi and mobile communications, from improving the quality of radio and television broadcasting to efficient data transmission in optical networks, repeaters are an important link in the field of communications. Their diversity and functionality make it possible to optimize signal transmission, ensuring continuous and high-quality communications in the modern information world.