EEB2043 COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

LAB 1 REPORT

TEAM MEMBERS :

1. Wan Ali Imran Bin Wan Othman ( 21235 )

2. Muhammad Shafiq Bin Halim ( 22594 )
3. Muhammad Fathy Rashad (25547)
 Introduction

The following experiment examines the reception of double sideband AM waveform. It aims
to investigate the reception and demodulation of AM waveforms by the ANACOM 1/2 module. The
operation of Automatic gain Control at the receiver will be investigated. Both transmissions and
broadcast signals from ANACOM 1/1 will be examined. X10 oscilloscope probe should also be used
throughout this experiment to avoid unnecessary loading of monitored signal.

Background Study

As the name suggests, in AM, the information signal varies the amplitude of the carrier sine
wave. Whenever a carrier is modulated by an information signal, new signals at different frequencies
are generated as part of the process. These new frequencies, which are called side frequencies, or
sidebands, occur in the frequency spectrum directly above and directly below the carrier frequency.
More specifically, the sidebands occur at frequencies that are the sum and difference of the carrier
and modulating frequencies.

One way to improve the efficiency of amplitude modulation is to suppress the carrier and
eliminate one sideband. The result is a single-sideband (SSB) signal. SSB is a form of AM that offers
unique benefits in some types of electronic communication. The first step in generating an SSB signal
is to suppress the carrier, leaving the upper and lower sidebands. This type of signal is referred to as
a double-sideband suppressed carrier (DSSC or DSB) signal. The benefit, of course, is that no power is
wasted on the carrier. Double-sideband suppressed carrier modulation is simply a special case of AM
with no carrier.

Double-sideband suppressed carrier signals are generated by a circuit called a balanced

modulator. The purpose of the balanced modulator is to produce the sum and difference
frequencies but to cancel or balance out the carrier. Despite the fact that elimination of the carrier in
DSB AM saves considerable power, DSB is not widely used because the signal is difficult to
demodulate (recover) at the receiver. One important application for DSB, however, is the
transmission of the color information in a TV signal.
 Results and Discussions

FIGURE 1 Signal form from the output of the Local Oscillator after tuned to the right frequency (T.P.
12)

- The output of the local oscillator has

455kHz more frequency compares to
the RF (Radio Frequency) amplifier.

- The value tuned must be higher or

equal to 455kHz and known as IF
(Intermediate Frequency)

- The IF will always present.

- These three frequency components

are produced from mixing the Local
oscillator output with output from R.F.
amplifier. (Sum freq= L. oscillator + f sig)
(Difference Freq= L. Oscillator – f sig)

- By putting a narrow-bandwidth
bandpass filter on the mixer’s output,
difference freq are formed, resulted
from carrier freq shifted down to
455kHz.
FIGURE 2 Signal formed from the mixer output, consists of Local Oscillator component, even after
attenuated (T.P 20)

FIGURE 3 Signal formed after the IF frequency is amplified, IF amplifier 1 (T.P. 24)
 FIGURE 4 Signal formed after the IF frequency is amplified, IF amplifier 2 (T.P. 28)

Figure 4 shows that the I.F Amplifier 2 has been amplified around the I.F frequency which is 455 kHz.
This makes the unwanted local oscillator and sum components from mixer has significantally small
magnitude. So this makes them both ignorable.

FIGURE 5 Signal formed after the IF frequency is amplified, IF amplifier 2 (T.P. 31)
Following from the operation through the DIODE DETECTOR OUTPUT, the signal is commanded by
the amplitude variations of incoming input. It also has a positive d.c offset, equal to average peal-to-
peak amplitude of incoming signal and also some ripple at I.F frequency 455 kHz.

FIGURE 6 Signal formed at the output of the DIODE DETECTOR (T.P. 39)

By comparing this signal with the DIODE DETECTOR signal, it has been noted that output from AUDIO
AMPLIFIER block inverted with respect to signal to DIODE DETECTOR this inversion is performed by
audio power amplifier and makes the sound quality unchanged.

FIGURE 7 Signal of ANACOM 1/1 Transmitter untouched (T.P. 13)

 FIGURE 8 Signal of ANACOM 1/1 Transmitter touched (T.P. 13)

The signals from Figure 7 and Figure 8 shows the effect of the signal’s amplitude from being
touched. Now, the receiving A.M signal from ANACOM 1/1 Transmitter. When the ANACOM 1/1 TX
OUTPUT SELECT switch is in ANT position, the AM signal at t.p 13 is fed to transmitter’s antenna.
When the antenna has been touched, this reduces the amplitude of the signal.
 FIGURE 9 Signal of the output of DIODE DETECTOR when not overload (T.P. 31)

FIGURE 10 Signal of the output of DIODE DETECTOR when overload (T.P. 31)
Both of these figures show the effect of the Receiver’s AGC ( Automatic Gain Control ) circuit. This
part of the circuit prevents the receiver from overloading when it’s tuned into a strong A.M
broadcast signal. This is done by monitoring d.c bias voltage at output of diode detector. This will
make the average amplitude of the signal at input to diode detector is maintained at constant level.
This will prevent the receiver cannot overload although the incoming signal is strong. By providing
signal strength is sufficient to operate AGC’s receiver by maintaining audio output from diode
detector.

Conclusion

Experiment 2 describes how the reception and demodulation of AM waveforms with the use of the
ANACOM 1\2 module. Both AM broadcast signals and AM transmission from ANACOM 1\1 were
studied and how the Automatic Gain Control( AGC ) affects the process. Demodulation is done by
multiplying the DSB-SC signal with carrier signal just like modulation process. This will result the
signal to be passed through a low pass filter to produced a scaled version of the original signal.