L7: 

AM Demodulation

• From L6, output v(t) of asynchronous AM detector is offset & scaled 

message.

• If carrier amplitude is known exactly at receiver, then DC offset can in 

principle be subtracted, to leave scaled message.

• But usually, tx oscillator amplitude or channel are slowly time‐ varying.

 Instead, apply notch filter to suppress DC (R2‐C2 circuit in L7),
But, low freq. message content then distorted/suppressed.
 AM suitable only for messages without very low freq. content.

L7 1
 AM Spectrum (PS p. 79; CC pp. 173-5)

AM signal = DSB-SC modulation on scaled & offset “message”

m'(t)  1   m(t)  M '( f )   ( f )   M ( f ).

So,
S ( f )  0.5 Ac M '( f  f c )  0.5 Ac M ( f  f c ),
 0.5 Ac  ( f  f c )   M ( f  f c )   0.5 Ac  ( f  f c )   M ( f  f c )  .

Like DSB-SC spectrum, except for carrier impulses at  f c Hz.

Presence of carrier  AM requires more power than DSB-SC.

L7 2
 DSB-SC vs AM Power (PS pp. 74-6, p.80; CC pp.176-7)

Average power of AM signal is

T 2 T

 1  2m(t )   m(t ) 2 cos(2f c t) 2 dt

1 A
T  2T 
Ps : lim s (t ) 2
dt  lim c 2
T  2T
T T

Ac2 T
Ac2  2 T
 lim
T  2T  1  2 m (t ) cos(2f c t) 2
dt  lim  m (t ) 2
cos(2f c t) 2
dt.
T
T  2T T

Ave. value of cos squared = 0.5.

If message has no DC, 1st limit = 0.5Ac2
Similarly, 2nd limit = 0.5 2 Ac2 Pm

 PAM  0.5 Ac2  0.5 2 Ac2 Pm ,

L7 3
 DSB‐SC  vs  AM Power, cont

But 2nd integral = DSB-SC power x  2

PDSBSC  0.5 Ac2 Pm

 PAM  0.5 Ac2   2 PDSBSC

If power is limited but circuit complexity is not an issue (e.g.

satellite comm.), use DSB-SC.

L7 4
 Generating AM and DSBSC

DSB-SC & AM: linear modulation techniques because

superposition applies from input message to output signal
(though AM is more precisely affine not linear) .

Despite this, AM efficiently demodulated using nonlinear

envelope detector.

Basic operation in linear modulation is multiplication of 2 signals, or

mixing. Viewed as 2-input, 1-output system, nonlinear.

 To generate AM or DSBSC, must use nonlinear circuit.

L7 5
 Square Law Modulators
(PS pp.88-9; CC pp.180-2)

Analog multipliers can be implemented using variable

transconductance multipliers, Hall effect devices, log-antilog
amplifiers, etc….(see Carlson et al pg. 159).

For high freq. or large amplitude, other methods preferred.

One technique: square law modulator using device with quadratic

input-output characteristic.
2
vo  a1vi  a 2 vi

E.g. FET or P-N diode.

L7 6
 Square Law AM Modulator, Cont.

Let input be vi (t)  x(t)  cos(2f c t) , x(t)= message.

vo (t)  a1 x(t)  cos(2f ct)   a 2 x(t)  cos(2f c t)  ,

2

 a1 x(t)  a 2 x(t)  a1  2a 2 x(t) cos(2f c t)  a 2 1  cos(4f c t) / 2.

2

x(t) : LP, BW W Hz.



FT property: x(t) 2  X ( f ) * X ( f )   X ( ) X ( f   )d



If | f | 2W , convolution is nonzero but if | f | 2W , convolution = 0:

 BW of m(t) 2 is 2W Hz.

L7 7
Output Spectrum of Square Law Device
(Carlson & Crilly, Fig 4.3-4)

L7 8
 Square Law AM Modulators, cont.

So, apply a BPF with centre f c Hz and BW B  2W Hz also

satisfying

2W  f c  B / 2, fc  B / 2  2 fc .

Note that we get DSB-SC if a1  0 : perfect square law device

Unfortunately, few devices have that property.

 Use balanced modulator to generate high-freq. DSB-SC:

L7 9
Balanced DSBSC Modulator (Fig. 4.3-5 Carlson & Crilly)

L7 10
Ring Modulator for DSBSC

(Fig 4.3-6, Carlson & Crilly)

L7 11
 Analysis of Ring Modulator
(PS pp. 91-2; CC pp. 182-3)

When c(t )  1, outer diodes on, inner diodes off  vout (t )  x(t ).
When c(t )  1, inner diodes on, outer diodes off  vout (t )   x(t )
 Can represent as vout (t )  c(t ) x(t ).
But c(t ), as periodic square wave at freq. f c , has Fourier series
4 1 1 
c(t )   cos  c t  cos 3 c t  cos 5 c t 
 3 5 
4 4 4
 vout (t )  x(t ) cos  c t  x(t ) cos 3 c t  x(t ) cos 5 c t 
 3 5

Pass through BPF to produce DSBSC.

L7 12
 Side-Bands in AM & DSBSC

Portions of BP spectrum to left & right of carrier frequency = side-

bands.

In DSB-SC & AM, both upper & lower side-bands are transmitted.
As
M ( f  fc ) if f  0
S DSBSC ( f )   ,
M ( f  f c ) if f  0

i.e. lower +ve DSB-SC side-band  shifted –ve message side-

band.

L7 13
 Double Side-Band

If message is real, | M ( f ) || M ( f ) |, M ( f )  M ( f ) .

I.e., -ve message sideband can be determined from +ve one, &
vice-versa.

If channel is LP with BW B Hz, neg. side-band not an issue,

since in any real channel we get –ve channel pass-band [ B,0]
for free.

However if channel is BP, after modulation –ve side-band uses

up valuable +ve channel bandwidth.
So, suppress a side-band…

L7 14
 Single Side‐Band Modulation (SSB)
(PS pp. 81-4; CC pp. 185-91)

Approach A: Conceptually,

Step 1: Suppress –ve side-band of M :

~ 2M ( f ) if f  0,
M ( f ) : 1  sgn( f ) M ( f )  
 0 if f  0.

Step 2: Generate spectrum of real signal,

 Ac M ( f  f c ), f  f c
~ ~ * 
SSSB ( f )  0.5Ac M ( f  f c )  0.5Ac M ( f  f c )   Ac M ( f  f c ), f   f c
 0 elsewhere.


L7 15
 SSB Approach A, cont.

In time domain (see L4),

~ 1 
m(t )  m(t )  j * m(t )   m(t )  jmˆ (t ).
 t 

sSSB (t )  Ac m(t ) cos(2f ct )  Ac mˆ (t ) sin(2f ct )  m

~ (t ) A e j2f c t 
c

Simpler approach…?

L7 16