FREQUENCY MODULATION AND DEMODULATION FM - GENERATION BY VCO FM - DEMODULATION BY PLL FSK - GENERATIONmodules: basic: vco optional basic: AUDIO OSCILLATOR preparation ‘A very simple and direct method of generating an FM signal is by the use of voltage controlled oscillator -VCO. The frequency of such an oscillator can be varied by an amount proportional to the magnitude of an input (control) voltage. Such oscillators, inthe form of ‘an integrated circuit, have very linear characteristics over a frequency range which is a significant percentage of the centre frequency. Despite the above desirable characteristic, the VCO fails in one respect as a generator of FM ~ the stability ofits centre frequency is not acceptable for most communication purposes. Its hardly necessary to show the block diagram of such an FM generator! See Figure I(a) — Sa] A o oO Figure 1: FM by VCO (a), and resulting output (b). Figure 1(b) shows a snap shot time domain display of an FM signal, together with the ‘message from which it was derived. The frequency change is large compared with the ‘unmodulated output frequency, and the carrier frequency is only four times that of the ‘message. So this waveform is nota typical one. But it can be reproduced with TIMS. [Note particularly that there are no amplitude variations - the envelope of an FM waveform is conan. experiment = A. model of the VCO. method of aencration is shown in Figure 2. Note io | Po that the on-board switch SW2 must be set ® | to'voo" mo [| so] Tae menos show coin fm n = eg} —-Or| AUDIO OSCILLATOR. but the 7kie Sine wave from MASTER SIGNALS ean Figure 2: FM generation by VCO sed instead. TNE ct steer ew ements com 12Emene-TO4s Fi pvetion by VCO L129 13 deviation calibration Before generating an FM waveform it is interesting to determine the deviation sen and linearity - ofthe VCO. Use the front pare fs" control to set the output frequency close to 100 kHz. Instead of using a sinewave as the message, connect instead the VARIABLE DC voltage to the input Vi, ofthe VCO. ‘The deviation sensitivity can be set withthe front panel GAIN control. Set this to about 20% of ts fully clockwise rotation, Vary the VARIABLE DC at the Viq socket of the VCO and plot frequency variation versus ‘both negative and positive values of Vi If this is reasonably linear over the full DC range then increase the GAIN control (sensitivity) setting of the VCO and repeat. The aim is to ‘determine the extent of the linear range, restricting the DC voltage to the TIMS ANALOG REFERENCE LEVEL of 4 volt peak-to-peak 10 kHz deviation Using the previous results set up the VCO to a 10 kHz frequency deviation from a signal atthe TIMS ANALOG REFERENCE LEVEL of 4 volts peak-to-peak. Alternatively: 1. Set the DC voltage to 2 volts 2., set the GAIN control fully anti-clockwise, and the output frequency to 100 kHz 3. advance the GAIN control until the frequency changes by 10 kHz. ty - sinusoidal messages Replace the DC voltage source with the output from an AUDIO OSCILLATOR. The frequency deviation will now be about £10 Kz, since the osilatoroutpat s about 2 volt peak To display a waveform of the type ilsrated in Figure 1() is not easy with a tase ‘oscilloscope, but glimpses may be obtained by slowly varying the message raqueney over therange say 15 Kiso tile Spectrum analysis If you have a PICO SPECTRUM ANALYSER, and are familiar with the theory of the FM spectrum, many interesting observations can be made. In particular, confirmation of some of the theory is possible by adjusting the deviation to the special values predicted by their “Bessel zeros’ ‘The TIMS Lab Sheet entitled FM and Bessel zeros demonstrates these phenomena by ‘modelling a simple WAVE ANALYSER. Stable carrier Af the stability of the ‘centre frequency of a VCO is un-acceptable for communications Purposes then an Armstrong modulator is an alternative. This is examined in the Lab Sheet entitled Armstrong's frequency modulator. SS “TOMS Lab Stet ‘amit © im hooper 199, amber oldngs pty hd. ACN 001-080-093 22modules: basic: for demodulation MULTIPLIER, UTILITIES, VCO basic: for generation VCO preparation ‘This experiment examines the phase locked loop as an FM demodulator. Figure 1 shows a block diagram ofthe arrangement to be examined. Figure 1: the PLL ‘The principle of operation is simple - or so it would appear. Consider the arrangement of Figure 1 in open loop form. That is, the connection between the filter output and VCO control voltage input is broken, ‘Suppose there isan unmodulated carrer atthe input. ‘The arrangement is reminiscent of a product, or multiplir-type, demodulator. If the VCO ‘was tuned precisely tothe frequency of the incoming carrier, ay say, then the output would bbe a DC voltage, of magnitude depending on the phase difference between itself and the incoming carrier. For two angles within the 360° range the output would be precisely zero volts DC. [Now suppose the VCO started to drift slowly off in frequency. Depending upon which way itdrifted, the output voltage would be a slowly varying AC, which ifslow enough looks like a varying amplitude DC. ‘The sign of this DC voltage would depend upon the direction of ari. Suppose now that the loop of Figure 1 is closed. If the sign of the slowly varying DC voltage, now a VCO control voliage, is so arranged that it is in the direction to urge the VCO back to the incoming carrier frequency a, then the VCO would be encouraged to “lock on’ tothe incoming carrier. This is a method of carrier acquisition. Next suppose that the incoming carrer is frequency modulated. For a low frequency message, and small deviation, you can imagine that the VCO will endeavour to follow the incoming cartier frequency. What about wideband FM 7 With ‘appropriate design’ of the lowpass filter and VCO circuitry the VCO will follow the incoming earier for this too. TAD ist stece ww ements com 12Eons: TMS demodulation by PLL L13 sev 13 The control voltage to the VCO will endeavour to keep the ¥CO frequency locked to the incoming carrier, and thus will be an exact copy of the original message. The above concepts can be examined by modelling a PLL, experiment To test the PLL use the output from the generator described in the Lab Sheet entitled FM = ‘eneration by VCO. Set up the generator as described there, with a carit in the vient of 4100 kHz. Set it toa known frequency deviation. Then: 1, model the demodulator as illustrated in Figure 2. Figure 2: the PLL model 2. setup the VCO module in 100 kHz VCO mode. In the frst instance set the fromt panel GAM\ control to its mid-range position. 3. connect the output of the generator to the input of the demodulator ‘4 fi PLL may oF may not at once lock on to the incoming FM signal, This will depend upon severat factors, including + the frequency to which the PLL is tuned ‘+ the capture range ofthe PLL. * the PLL loop gain - the setting ofthe front panel GAIN control ofthe VCO. ‘You will also need to know what method you will use to verify that lock has taken place 5. make any necessary adjustments to the PLL to obtain lock, and record how this was done. Measure the ‘mplitude and frequency of the recovered message (if periodic), or otherwise describe it (eech ne ‘music ). © gompar the waveform and frequency of the message at the wansmiter, and the mestage ffom the demodulator. 7. gheck the relationship between the message amplitude atthe transmitter, and the message amplitude from the demodulator. TIS Lab Steet epi © tim hooper 1999, ambeley bolng pty Id. ACN 001-080-093 2nmodules a basic: ADDER, AUDIO OSCILLATOR, DUAL ANALOG SWITCH, SEQUENCE GENERATOR, veo preparation ‘This experiment examines the generation of a frequency shift keyed - FSK - signal. Demodulation is examined in the Lab Sheet entitled FSK'- emelope demodulation, ‘The block diagram of Figure | illustrates the principle of an FSK generator. oscillator #1 f, FSK oscillator #2 f, f, = fy binary message f, Figure 1: an FSK transmitter In principle the three frequencies ff, and fare independent. In practice this is often not 50 ~ there are certain advantages in having them related in some fashion (eg. as sub- ‘ultiples), Secondly, sources #1 and #2 can be the same oscillator (say a VCO), whose frequency is changed by the message, leading to a continuous phase output (CPFSK). This is illustrated in Figure 2, which shows a VCO as the source of the f; and fy, and the corresponding CPFSK output waveform. ae UW fx ng} — (160) —> bed Figure 2: CPFSK generation and output waveform TNE wat steer ‘ww cmon om 2nee. TMS 1X. geon L32 wd experiment continuous phase using a VCO ‘The generation of FSK using a VCO (as per Figure 2) is shown modelled in Figure 3. This arrangement can be set up to generate a signal inthe vicinity of 100 kHz. Figure 3: CPFSK generation ‘See the TIMS User Manual for details of FSK mode for the VCO. In brief, the on-board ‘switch SW2 is used to select the PSK” mode. A TTL HI to the DATA input allows the setting of f; with RV8, and a LO the setting of using RV7. These frequencies will be in ‘the audio range with the front panel switch set to LO, or near 100 kHz: when set to HI. The ‘wo other front pane! controls have no influence inthis FSK mode. general method of generation ‘A more general method of FSK generation, with all the degrees of freedom of Figure 1, is shown modelled in Figure 4 Figure 4: a model of the arrangement of Figure 1 ‘The two tones f; and fy are at audio frequencies, one obtained fiom the MASTER SIGNALS module, the other from a VCO. This FSK would be suitable for transmission via a phone line, for example. “The bit rate of the message, f, derived from 2 SEQUENCE GENERATOR, is determined by the AUDIO OSCILLATOR. There is an upper limit to the bit rate. This is examined more closely when attempting demodulation - see the Lab Sheet FSK - envelope demodulation. In that experiment provision has been made by inserting a digital divider between the bit clock source (AUDIO OSCILLATOR) and the SEQUENCE GENERATOR. It is not necessary here, since this is only a demonstration of the generation method. ‘TMS Lab Steet capris © im boope 1989, ambeey holdings py hd ACN 001-080.053| 2n