Which stage follows demodulation in the receiver operation process?

In the context of receiver operation in communications, demodulation is the process where the received modulated signal is converted back into its original baseband signal. Following this, the next logical step is to make the data comprehensible and usable by the end application, which typically involves decryption if the data was originally encrypted.

Decryption is the process that transforms the encrypted data back into a form that is readable or usable. It is essential in secure communications where data is transmitted in an encrypted format to ensure privacy and security during transmission. Therefore, after demodulation, if the signal contains encrypted information, decryption allows the receiver to access this information in a meaningful way.

In a typical receiver operation sequence, after demodulation, the information is processed, and if necessary, decrypted to provide the final output that the system can utilize, making decryption the correct response in this scenario.