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in

Analog & Digital Communication

UNIT I
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AM Modulators
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Outline
• Low level Modulators
• Medium Power AM Modulator
• Simultaneous Base and Collector
Modulation
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Generating the AM Wave

• The method utilized to produce a useable AM
signal is to combine the carrier and intelligent
signal through a nonlinear device.
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Generating the AM Wave

The combination of any two sine waves through a
nonlinear device produce the following frequency
components:

1. A dc level

2. Components at each of the 2 original frequencies.

3. Components at the sum and difference frequencies of

the 2 original frequencies.

4. Harmonics of the original frequencies.

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Frequency Spectrum
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Nonlinear devices
• BJT
• MOSFET
• Vacuum Tube
• Three terminals are used
• There are two ports namely input and
output
• One terminal is common to i/p and o/p
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Two port network

Black box may contain either
BJT or MOSFET or Vacuum Tube

Input Output
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BJT
• Common emitter configuration
• Output is taken from collector

Output
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MOSFET
• Common source configuration
• Output is taken from drain

output
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Low level and high level

modulators
• Location where modulation occurs
• Consider BJT
• Output is taken from collector
• If modulation occurs prior to collector then
it is low level modulation
• If modulation occurs in the collector then it
is high level modulation
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Low level modulation - BJT

• Modulation occurs prior to collector
• Carrier is applied at the base
• Collector is the output terminal
• Emitter is common
• At collector the carrier power is maximum
• Before collector if we modulate the carrier
then the message signal strength need not
to be very high
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Low level modulation - BJT

message
• Before collector if we
modulate the carrier
then the message carrier
signal strength need
not to be very high
• Remember m=Em/Ec
• If Ec is lower then for
the same message
signal strength we
can get higher m

carrier
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Low level modulation-points

• Advantage - Less modulating power to
achieve high percentage modulation
• Disadvantage - All the following stages
must be linear which is difficult to achieve
• When the following stages are not linear
then the AM signal is distorted
– The embedded message is also distorted
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Basic Common emitter amplifier

Problem : Bias point shifts
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Common emitter amplifier

The resistor in the emitter terminal

stabilizes the bias point shifting

VBE
But it also affects the gain
Higher RE results in lower VBE
Therefore lower gain
RE
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Common emitter amplifier

Amplified O/p

VBE
i/p

RE
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input
Amplifier output

Gain control

• User has access to two terminals in a fixed gain amplifier

1. Input
2. output
• In the figure shown above user can access three terminals
1. Input
2. Output
3. Gain control
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Gain control
• The gain of the amplifier
can be controlled by
applying some voltage to
“gain control” terminal

input
Amplifier output

Gain control =1 V

Gain = output / input

=10
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Gain = 10
input
Amplifier output

Gain control =1 V

input
Amplifier output

Gain control =1.5 V

Gain = 15
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Amplified O/p

Adjust RE to get different gains

VBE
i/p
RE
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Emitter modulation

carrier

message
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Emitter modulator
• Linear class A amplifier
• Carrier applied at the base
• Message applied at the emitter
• Message varies the gain of the amplifier
• Depth of modulation is proportional to the
message strength
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Gain of the amplifier

• Gain of the amplifier with out modulating
signal (message) is Aq (quiescent gain)
• Gain of the amplifier with message signal
is Av
• Av=Aq(1+m.sin(2πfmt))
• sin(2πfmt) swings between -1 to +1
• Gain varies between Aq(1-m) to Aq(1+m)
• For 100% modulation, m=1
• Av swings between 0 to 2.Aq
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Problem
• Consider low level BJT AM modulator
• Modulation coefficient is 0.8
• Carrier frequency is 500 KHz
• Carrier amplitude is 5 mV
• Quiescent voltage gain of the amplifier is
100
• Message signal frequency is 1 KHz
• Find maximum and minimum gains
• Find maximum and minimum output
voltages
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Answer
• Av swings between
Aq(1-m) and Aq(1+m)
0.9V
• Avmin is 100(1-0.8)=20
• Avmax is 0.1V
0.1V
100(1+0.8)=180
• Vout-min=20x5 mV=100 0.9V

mV =0.1 V
• Vout-max=180x5
mV=900 mV =0.9 V
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Principle of tank circuit

• If a current pulse is applied to tank circuit
then the tank circuit produces a complete
sine wave voltage output
• If it receives a series of current pulses
then the output is series of sine waves
• If the current pulse amplitude is made
stronger then the output voltage increases
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Generation of AM
using class C amp
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Medium Power AM Modulator

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Medium power modulator

• Modulation takes place at collector
• Output is taken from collector
• If there are no amplifiers after this i.e. from
collector if it goes to antenna then it is
called high level modulator
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Circuit operation of collector

modulator
• Class c operation
• No base biasing
• Carrier is fed to base of Q
• For the negative half cycle of carrier Q is
in cut-off
• Positive half cycle of the carrier is
amplified by Q and is available at collector
of Q
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Collector wave form without

message

ICOLLECTOR

VOUT
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Collector wave form with message

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Collector
modulator
with
LC tank
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Circuit operation-collector
modulator
• Tank circuit L1 and C1
• Resonant frequency is carrier frequency
• Bandwidth of tank circuit is message bandwidth
• R1 and C2 determines cut-in voltage – controls
the conduction in positive cycle
• C3 bypass message signal – avoids dc-
message signal collision
• C4 bypasses RF carrier
• CN – neutralizing capacitor for collector-base
junction capacitance
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Comparison
Emitter modulators Collector modulators

Low amplitude High amplitude

modulating signal modulating signal
Class A operation – Class C operation –
lower efficiency higher efficiency
Lower power output Higher power output

Asymmetrical envelope More symmetrical

envelope
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Simultaneous base and collector

modulation
• Combines advantages of both emitter and
collector modulators
• Modulating signal simultaneously fed to
collector of driver amplifier (Q1) and a
push-pull amplifier setup (Q2 and Q3)
• Collector modulation occurs at Q1
• Carrier signal fed to Q2 and Q3 already
partially modulated
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High Power AM Modulator

Simultaneous base and collector modulation