ASK Test Generator
Michael Viveros , Pavel Zambrano
Department of Automation and Electronics, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente
Cali, Colombia
Abstract--This laboratory was made with two
different signals, booth made using the oscillator
concept. The first was made using the Wien bridge
configuration which output is a sinusoidal signal and
the second one was 555 oscillator which generates a
square signal.
The idea of the assembly is to generate a ASK
(Amplitude-Shift Keying) using an analog switch to
finally amplify the signal using a class C amplifier.
To make the laboratory is necessary to remember
the specific parameters of each device and the
possible configurations of each assembly, all that will
be calculated with pencil, to later simulate and
finally create an assembly and put it in a PCB.
I. Introduction
AC waveforms are possible to obtain from a
DC signal using an oscillator circuit, there are a
lot of possible oscillator circuits including the
quartz oscillator, an oscillator which uses the
quartz crystal as mechanical oscillator because its
properties.
Also are a lot of waveforms created by an
oscillator like sine, square, triangle, and sawtooth.
Other kind of oscillator is the Wien Bridge which
generates low frequency signals (5Hz to 1MHz)
and uses a RC circuit to feedback called
advancement feedback delay.
555 timer can works on three operating modes,
monostable, astable and bistable.
To this laboratory the astable mode was used.
That mode allows the 555 to works as an
oscillator.
To create a modulation the ASK or Amplitude-
shift keying was used.
The ASK represents digital data as variations in
the amplitude of a carrier wave. Some parts of the
signal are discontinuous with an unnecessary
bandwidth.
The class C amplifier is a kind of non-linear
amplifier which has RF applications on
assemblies as oscillators where a low frequency
signal controls a high frequency signal.
II. Stage By Stage
A. Wien Bridge
As we before said the Wien Bridge can generates
sinusoidal signals with a frequency between 5Hz
and 1MHz.
The advancement circuit is made of the RC
resistance in series and the delay circuit is made of
RC circuit in parallels where the values of the
capacitors and resistances are equals.
When the frequencies are very low the series
capacitor works as an open circuit and there are
not output signal.
When the frequencies are very high the parallel
capacitor works as a short circuit and there are not
output signal.
But when the frequency is the resonance
frequency the voltage output is the max voltage
the circuit can bring.
To say it with other words the only moment the
input and output signals are phase signals is when
the circuit reach the resonance frequency, and the
max amplification of the resonant circuit is when
the capacitive reactance and the resistances of the
advancement, delay circuit are the same.
f r= (2 πRC )−1 Eq 1.
Picture1. Wien Bridge (Taken from the book
"Electronic Devices 8th ed. Larson")
B. Astable Multivibrator
Picture 2. LM555 (Taken from the book
"Electronic Devices 8th ed. Larson")
You can configure a 555 temporizer to work on
astable mode as an oscillator.
R1, R2, Cext are used to establish the frequency
of the oscillation.
C1 is used to decoupling and have not any effect
on the circuit operation.
The circuit works like that:
When the input signal is turned on Cext is
discharged and the shoot voltage is 0. So the
output signal of the low comparator is high and
the output of the high comparator is low.
So the transistor keep turned off
Now Cext start to charge through R1 and R2.
When the voltage on the capacitor reach 1/3Vcc
the low comparator goes to low output and when
the capacitor voltage is 2/3Vcc the high
comparator goes to high so Cext goes to high level
and the transistor turns on.
All these create a sequence for the discharge of
Cext through R2 and the transistor.
Now the capacitor begins to discharge, which
causes the comparator is directed to the low level.
At the time the capacitor discharges 1/3Vcc, low
comparator switches to a high level and sets the
flip-flop, which causes the base is directed Qd of
the low level and the transistor is turned off.
Another charge cycle begins and the process
repeats. The result is a pulsating wave output
whose duty cycle depends on the values of R1 and
R2.
Picture 3. Astable LM555 (Taken from the book
"Electronic Devices 8th ed. Larson")
For duty cycles less than 50% load requires only
Cext through R1 and discharged through R2. This
is achieved with a diode D1 shown in Picture 3.
The duty cycle may be less than 50 percent lower
than R1 R2. With this condition and thinking of
an ideal diode, the formulas for the frequency and
duty cycle are:
1.44
fr≅ Eq 2.
( R1+ 2 R2 )∗C ext
Picture 4. Oscillation frequency of a 555 on
astable mode from ( R1 +2 R2 )∗C ext (Taken
from the book "Electronic Devices 8th ed.
Larson")
C. ASK Modulator
ASK modulator within digital communications,
modulation is a process of delivering a sinusoidal
signal to two or more discrete amplitude levels
depending on the number of levels to take
digitized message.
There are parts which are discontinuous in the
resulting signal having a band width necessary.
The pulses that limit entries are applied sinusoidal
signal before transmission in which case the gap
wills shutdown the case, see Picture 5 This
process is what is known as modulation signals.
Picture 5. Carrier signal, modulating signal and
modulating signal (ASK) (Taken from the book
"Electronic Devices 8th ed. Larson")
D. Class C Amplifier
Class C amplifiers are a type of non-linear
amplifier having Radiofrequency (RF), including
circuitry such as oscillators, constant output
amplitude and modulators, in which a low
frequency signal controls a high frequency signal.
These amplifiers are biased so that the conduction
is given for less than 180 degrees, the efficiency is
higher than the class of the amplifiers A, B and
AB is still between 80% and 100%. In Figure 7,
one can see the outline of a class C amplifier
where the tank circuit is comprised of C2 and L.
1
f r= Eq 3.
2 π √ LC
The short pulse of current in the collector in each
cycle of the input initiates and maintains the
oscillation of the tank circuit so that a sinusoidal
output voltage occurs. It should be noted that the
tank circuit has a high impedance only nears the
resonance frequency, so that the gain is large only
at this frequency. For main advantages, we have
efficiency class C is very close to 100%, we also
have the power dissipation of the class C amplifier
is low because this is a very small asset cycle
time.
.
Picture 6. Basic class C amplifier circuit. (Taken
from the book "Electronic Devices 8th ed.
Larson")
III. Results and Discussion
To create the Wien Bridge the frequency was
125KHz, so using the equation 1, the capacitor
was assumed, so the resistances were calculated
because is easy to find a resistance value than a
capacitor value.
So the resistances were 1.2KΩ, 1KΩ and 2KΩ,
but the 2KΩ was substituted by a potentiometer
because the circuit needs a little push to start.
Picture 7. Schematic configuration of Wien
Bridge.
Picture 8. Sinusoidal signal simulated with
Multisim.
Picture 9. Real sinusoidal signal
When assembly was done the response of the
Wien bridge was the picture 9, there is possible to
see the pk-pk voltage is a little bit bigger than the
simulation, and in the same way, the frequency
too, but was very close to the simulation and the
signal were totally sinusoidal.
The LM555 on astable mode use the Equation 2 to
calculate the components of the picture 10.
Because we had the frequency of oscillation
(10KHz) and assuming a commercial capacitor
and two resistances from the eq 2 we can calculate
the other resistance.
To obtain a duty of 50% was necessary use a
diode, this way the capacitor will charge and
discharge with the same resistance.
 and very small at the bottom; however this fact is
not so important, because in this signal only
matter the states high and low. Despite the noise,
the frequency and amplitude were very similar to
the simulation.

Talking about the modulator, the device used was

a JFet 176, which did the function of analog
switch. The 100KΩ resistance is because the
impedance adjustment of JFet remembering it
must be big and 1KΩ is the simulation of the next
stage impedance.

Picture 10. Schematic configuration of LM555 on

astable mode.

Picture 13 Schematic modulator configuration.

The picture 14 is the simulation of the modulation

between the square and the sinusoidal waveforms.
Picture 11. Multisim simulated square signal.

Picture 12. (Yellow line) Real square signal.

The picture 12 shows the signal obtained when the Picture 14. ASK signal simulated with Multisim.
assembly was done, it have a little peaks at the top
To see how it worked on real life, go to see Picture 16. Class C amplifier configuration.
Picture 12 (Blue line).

At picture 13 is possible to see the amplitude and

waveform is very similar but the frequency is
about the half, it happened because the duty cycle
IV. Bibliography
of the square signal is around 50%.
Electronic Devices. Thomas L Floyd, 8th edition.
To the third laboratory assembly was necessary to Ed.Pearson.
design a class C amplifier, to obtain a 125KHz
resonance frequency, because the collector-output Albert P. Malvino, Electronic Principles “Bipolar
isn’t the input the class C amplifier with only junction transistors”. Sixth edition. Chapter 6.
resistive charge isn’t good for our task was
Albert P. Malvino, Electronic Principles “Transistor
necessary use a tank circuit in parallel, it
polarization”. Sixth edition. Chapter 8.
frequency was determined by the Eq 3.
Oscillator concept from. (Consulted September 17
Choosing R1 and R2 is possible to adjust the work 2014.)
cycle. Because Cext is charged through R1 and R2
and only discharges through R2 is possible to http://www.bolanosdj.com.ar/TEORIA/OSCILADORE
adjust the work cycle using a diode. S1.PDF

Work cycle= R1/(R1+R2)*100 Eq 4.

The capacitors were calculated using an

inductance of 170uH and a frequency of 125KHz.

2
1

C=
( )
2π f r
L

C=9.2 nF

So the efficacy of the circuit is:

Psal
n=
P sal + Pd prom