Security Exercise 18: Amplitude Modulation

Introduction to Amplitude Modulated Signals

Part 1: Set Up

Step One: Function generator setup.

□ Turn on power to the lab bench (the switch on the right that says "120V OUTLETS.")
□ Turn on the function generator.
□ Select the sinusoidal function by pressing the button with the Sine wave on it. The function
generator display should indicate a small sine wave.
□ Select the Utility function and Output Setup soft key. Load should be High Z.
□ Push Done.
□ Press the output button, if not already illuminated.

Step Two: Oscilloscope setup.

□ Turn on the oscilloscope.

□ Locate the CH 1 input on your oscilloscope. It will have a two-input
(RED / BLACK) banana plug adaptor installed.
□ Connect banana plug cables (which can be found under the bench on
the plastic Quad board) from the function generator’s output to the CH
1 input on the oscilloscope (red to red and black to black).

Part 2: Amplitude Modulated Signal in the Time Domain

An Amplitude Modulated (AM) signal looks somewhat like the figure that follows. This particular depiction includes the AM
signal’s envelope, and the definitions of Vm (message amplitude), Vc (carrier amplitude), Vmax (max envelope voltage) and
Vmin (min envelope voltage). The information signal (message) modulates the amplitude of the carrier.

□ On the Function Generator select the Store/Recall button and then push Recall State and then push State 3 and then
Recall State again. Make sure the output button is lit.
 □ Push AUTOSET on the Oscilloscope and you will see an AM signal.

□ Press CH 1 MENU on the oscilloscope and make the following settings.

 Coupling: AC
 BW Limit: OFF
 Volts/Div: COARSE
 Probe: 1X
 Invert: Off

□ If a trace appears for CH2, then press the CH2 Menu button twice
to turn off the CH 2 trace, since nothing is connected to CH 2 for this lab.

□ With the CH 1 menu selected, adjust the position of the vertical axis zero
level by rotating the position knob under the vertical section in the CH 1
column, so that the “1→” on the left side of the LCD is adjacent to the
major horizontal axis (centered vertically on the display).

□ Adjust the vertical scale (Volts/Div) to enlarge the

displayed signal so that
it occupies more than half of the oscilloscope display.

□ Adjust the horizontal range (Sec/Div) so that you can

see the AM waveform similar to the one shown
above. You may have to adjust the knob for trigger
level (it is to the far right below the AUTOSET
button) to clean up the signal. Turn the knob so that
you see the trigger level (arrow to far right of screen)
rise from the center line. Hint: if you have trouble
removing the “jitter” from the graph, use the
“Run/Stop” button in the upper right hand corner of
the oscilloscope to pause the capture.

Question 1. Once the display is properly adjusted, use the boxes on the oscilloscope to measure the following parameters.
Record your results in on your answer sheet.

1. Measure Vmin and Vmax .

2. Measure the period of the carrier, Tc (higher frequency signal). You will have to adjust the horizontal
(sec/div) scale to accurately measure a the period of a cycle of the high frequency carrier signal.

3. Measure Tm, the period of the message (lower frequency signal). You will need to adjust back the horizontal
(sec/div). Note: Tm measures the period of the envelope of the AM signal.

Calculate the modulation index m, the carrier frequency (fc), the message signal's frequency (fm), the amplitude of the carrier
(Vc) and the amplitude of the message signal (Vm). Use the equations shown in Table 1 below along with your measured
values. Record your results in Question 1 on your answer sheet.

Vmax − Vmin Vmax + Vmin Vm Vmax − Vmin

V= =
V =
m =
Vc Vmax + Vmin
m c
2 2
1 1
=fc = fm
Tc Tm

Question 2: Determine the equation of the AM waveform displayed on the oscilloscope. Write your answer on your answer
sheet using the form below, but with numerical values replacing Vc, Vm, fm and fc:

v AM (=
t) [Vc + Vm cos(2π f m t )] cos(2π f c t )
 Part 3: Amplitude Modulated Signal in the Frequency Domain

Let’s look at the frequency spectrum of this signal. In class we manipulated the above equation to show us what frequencies
will show up in the frequency domain:
v AM (t ) =Vc cos(2π f c t ) + m cos ( 2π ( f c + f m ) t ) + m cos ( 2π ( f c − f m ) t )
V V
2 2

There are 3 frequencies in the AM signal: the carrier and its 2 sideband frequencies. So let us try to see this signal in terms of
its frequency content. Again, the oscilloscope performs a fast Fourier transform (FFT) and displays the magnitudes of the
frequencies present in the signal vs. frequency, so the horizontal scale shows frequency instead of time. The y-axis will show
values in decibels, which can be ignored for this lab.

□ Press AUTOSET and you will see the options to display the signal in time or in frequency (FFT). (NOTE: If the
FFT option does not appear when you press AUTOSET, then press the MATH MENU button.)
□ Push the button next to the FFT (or stay in FFT operation) and you will see spikes at specific frequencies.
□ Set the horizontal scale to read 12.5 kHz per division using the Sec/Div knob.

Question 3: Determine the value of the center and sideband frequencies. Use the Frequency cursor (recall that when using
the FFT to show frequency content, the source must be MATH, not CH 1 or CH 2 to use the frequency plot cursors)

Question 4: Sketch your frequency plot as displayed on your o-scope. Label the frequency axis using the frequencies of the
tones present in the AM signal. Indicate the heights of the AM signal spikes with the expected amplitude of the cosines in the
signal (note: the amplitudes are not actually displayed on the FFT on your o-scope, you just need to indicate them on your
plot.) Have your instructor check it.

Question 5: What is the bandwidth of the amplitude modulated waveform?

Question 6: Rewrite your AM signal as the sum of three cosines as in the example below filling in numerical values for V1,
f1, V2, f2, V3 and f3. Your answer should match the format of vAM(t) above.

v AM (t ) =V1 cos(2π f1t ) + V2 cos ( 2π f 2 t ) + V3 cos ( 2π f 3t )

Question 7: Is this AM signal within the range of frequencies that commercial AM radio stations transmit?

Question 8: If the information signal from above contained many frequencies (including frequencies higher than the fm you
measured), how would this affect the bandwidth of the amplitude modulated waveform?

Part 4: Another AM signal

You have a message signal you would like to transmit, but do not have access to an AM transmitter. Your evil instructor
offers to transmit your signal (for a small fee). Your customers start complaining that your signal sounds terrible. You
examine the amplitude modulated signal that the evil instructor has generated for you:

□ On the Function Generator select the Store/Recall button and then push Recall State and then push State 4 and then
Recall State again. Make sure the output button is lit.
□ Push AUTOSET on the Oscilloscope and you will see an AM signal.
□ Eliminate the CH 2 signal (if necessary), vertically center the waveform and adjust the horizontal range and trigger
level to stabilize the AM signal.

Question 9: Explain the problem with the evil user AM signal (hint: look at the shape of the envelope).
 Security Exercise 18 Answer Sheet
Name:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 1:

Vmax Vmin Vc Vm Tc (µs) Tm (µs) fc (kHz) fm (kHz) m

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 2:

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Question 3: fc = ___________ flsb = _____________ fusb = _____________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 4:

__________________________________
Instructor / Lab Tech
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 5:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 6:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 7:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 8:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 9:

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