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COMM 1208 Unit 3 AM
1. Why Modulate?
All audio signals occupy the same frequency band i.e. between 0 and 20 kHz. Before being broadcast an
audio signal (speech or music) must be moved, or frequency translated to a specific frequency range in order
to use the available frequency spectrum. To do this the audio signal (or modulating signal) modulates a
much higher radio frequency (the carrier frequency). Each audio signal is assigned a carrier - defining a
channel - so that it is possible for the receiver to discriminate between all the streams of signals coming in.
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COMM 1208 Unit 3 AM
2. Amplitude Modulation
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COMM 1208 Unit 3 AM
2.2 Derivation
A carrier is described by
v = Vc Sin ( c t + )
To amplitude modulate the carrier its amplitude is changed in accordance with the level of the audio
signal, which is described by
v = Vm Sin ( m t )
The amplitude of the carrier varies sinusoidally about a mean of V c. When the carrier is modulated its
amplitude is varied with the instantaneous value of the modulating signal. The amplitude of the variation of
the carrier amplitude is Vm and the angular frequency of the rate at which the amplitude varies is m. The
amplitude of the carrier is then:
Carrier amplitude = Vc + Vm Sin ( m t )
and the instantaneous value (value at any instant in time) is
v = {Vc + Vm Sin ( m t )} * Sin ( c t ) Eqn. 1
= Vc Sin ( c t ) + Vm Sin ( m t ) * Sin ( c t )
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COMM 1208 Unit 3 AM
An gula r c - m c c + m
Fr equ ency
Ba ndwidt h
= 2 * m
In this example the angular frequencies (expressed in Radians/sec, or kRad/sec, or Mrad/sec) are show. In
most cases however the frequency is shown (expressed in Hz, or kHz, or MHz).
Example: A 1 MHz carrier is amplitude modulated by an audio signal which contains all
frequencies in the range 300 Hz to 5 kHz. What are the frequency bands which are output? What is
the output bandwidth? Draw the spectral diagram of these signals.
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COMM 1208 Unit 3 AM
Example: A 1.5 MHz carrier is amplitude modulated by three sinusoidal signals of frequency
500 Hz, 800 Hz and 1,400 Hz. What are the frequencies in the AM spectrum?
Answer: Convert all the frequencies to kHz. 1.5 MHz is 1500 kHz. 500 Hz is 0.5 kHz. 800 Hz is
0.800 kHz. 1400 Hz is 1.4 kHz.
The output frequencies are:
1500 kHz, 1500 0.5 kHz, 1500 0.8 kHz 1500 1.4 kHz
or
1500, 1500.5 , 1499.5, 1500.8, 1499.2, 1501.4 , 1498.6 kHz
Exercise: Draw a diagram showing these frequency bands for the above examples.
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COMM 1208 Unit 3 AM
In AM, this quantity, also called modulation depth, indicates by how much the modulated signal varies
around its 'original' level. For AM, it relates to the variations in the carrier amplitude.
So if m = 0.5, the carrier amplitude varies by 50% above and below its unmodulated level, and for m = 1.0 it
varies by 100%. Modulation depth greater than 100% is generally to be avoided as it creates distortion.
17
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-0.5
-0.5
-1 sound signal in the radio receiver. The effect of
-1 -1.5 over-modulation can be examined in the
laboratory.
Modulating Signal 100% modulation
1 2
1.5
0.5 1
0.5
0 0
1
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-0.5
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-0.5 -1
-1.5
-1 -2
150% Modulation
3
2
1
0
1
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-1
-2
-3
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COMM 1208 Unit 3 AM
m* Vc /2 = 0.2 * 15 /2 = 1.5 V
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COMM 1208 Unit 3 AM
Variations of modulated signal with percentage modulation are shown below. In each image, the maximum
amplitude is higher than in the previous image. Note that the scale changes from one image to the next.
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COMM 1208 Unit 3 AM
Example: A transmitter puts out a total power of 25 Watts of 30% AM signal. How much
power is contained in the carrier and each of the sidebands?
Answer: Total power = 25 = Pc ( 1 + ) = Pc ( 1 + ) = Pc * 1.045
Therefore the carrier power is Pc = 25/ 1.045 = 23.92 Watts
The total power in the 2 sidebands is 25 - 23.92 = 1.08 W
The power in each sideband is 1.08/2 = .54 W
The fraction of the power in the carrier is 23.92/25 = 0.957, or 95.7%
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COMM 1208 Unit 3 AM
Because most of the output power from an amplitude modulator is contained in the carrier there will be
major power savings if the carrier can be suppressed. The carrier amplitude and frequency do not change and
so it does not contain any signal information. The suppression of the carrier will not cause any of the
information in the signal to be lost.
Each sideband is the image of the other and one of them may be suppressed without the loss of any
information.
All of the information is conveyed through the use of a single sideband with no carrier.
Example: An AM signal has a depth of modulation of 70%. What is the power saving if
(a) the carrier is suppressed and
(b) the carrier and one sideband is suppressed?
Answer: The total power in the signal is Pt = Pc ( 1 + ) .
Therefore the fraction of the total power in the carrier is
1 / ( 1 + ) = 1/(1 + 0.72/2) = 1/1.245 = .803 = 80.3%
(a) In this case if the carrier is suppressed then the power saving will be 80%, the transmitter
will need to transmit only 20% of the power it would otherwise need to transmit.
(b) If one of the sidebands is suppressed then only half of the remaining power will need to be
transmitted i.e. 10%.
In this example a transmitter which would have to transmit 10 W of a full wave AM signal will be
able to transmit the same information on 1 W if the carrier and one sideband are both suppressed.
When the carrier and both side bands are transmitted it is called Full Wave transmission.
If only the carrier is suppressed we have Double Side Band Suppressed Carrier transmission or DSBSC
for short .
If the carrier and one side band are suppressed we have Single Side Band transmission or SSB.
Radio receivers for receiving Full Wave signals are cheap to produce but the transmitter must be capable of
transmitting a lot of power. It is used for broadcast radio stations in the Medium Wave band because there
will be only one transmitter for a country the size of Ireland but millions of receivers so that the aim is to
keep the receivers as cheap as possible.
Radio receivers for SSB or Carrier Suppressed signals are expensive to produce, but the transmitter need not
be capable of outputting a high power level. It is used for ship to shore communications (e.g. between a
fishing boat and the harbour master) or for other one-to-one communications. In this case there are as many
transmitters as receivers, one per boat, so that there are no major cost savings if the receiver is made a little
cheaper, but there will be major gains if the transmitter can be made cheaper. In addition the power on the
boat (or plane, or other vehicle) may be limited and will be needed for lighting and other functions, so that it
is desirable that as little of it as possible is needed for communications.
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COMM 1208 Unit 3 AM
4. AM Demodulators
C2 R2 It has limitations.
DC LP F
AM Au d io
in
R1 C1 B lo c k C3 Ou t
E n v e lo pe
D e te c to r
If the time constant R1 *C1 in the envelope detector is too long relative to the period of the highest
frequency modulating signal it will not be it will not be able to follow the peaks and troughs of the envelope
giving rise to diagonal clipping. It is required that R1*C1 < [(1 -m2)1/2] / (mm) where m is the highest
frequency component of the modulating signal and m is the modulation index. This is derived below.
If R1*C1 is too short than there will excessive RF ripple and the output power will be reduced.
Because the diode is a non linear device there will be some distortion in the demodulated signal.
In general R1 C1 must be a lot longer than the period of the carrier and a lot shorter than the period of the
modulating signal.
R1 must be a lot larger than the forward resistance of the diode to maintain detector efficiency. It must also
provide matching to the next (audio) stage.
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