Design and Implementation of Software-Based FM
Receiver
Sunmoon Nahar Oyshi
ID:190205159
dept. of EEE
Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology
Dhaka, Bangladesh
190205159@aust.edu
Tazriyan Aziz
ID:20200102180
dept. EEE
Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology
Dhaka, Bangladesh
tazriyan.eee.200105180@aust.edu
Abstract—The project aims to design and implement a
software-based FM receiver using MATLAB and Simulink. The
project involves acquiring an FM signal from an audio file, de-
modulating the signal to recover the original audio, and playing it
through the computer’s audio output device. This report provides
a comprehensive overview of the design, implementation, and
evaluation of the FM receiver, focusing solely on software-based
setup and signal processing techniques.
Index Terms—FM receiver, frequency modulation, demodula-
tion, MATLAB, Simulink, software-based setup
I. I NTRODUCTION
Frequency Modulation (FM) is a modulation technique
widely used in various communication systems. It involves
varying the frequency of a carrier signal in proportion to the
instantaneous amplitude of a modulating signal. The software-
based FM receiver project focuses on developing a system that
can demodulate an FM signal to extract the underlying audio
signal without the need for external hardware components.
This approach leverages the signal processing capabilities
of MATLAB and Simulink to perform the necessary de-
modulation steps and playback the audio signal through the
computer’s audio output.
II. M ETHODOLOGY:
A. Message Signal Generation:
A message signal was generated using MATLAB. It was a
sinusoidal waveform with a frequency and an amplitude.
B. Carrier Signal Generation:
A high-frequency carrier signal was generated using MAT-
LAB. It was a sinusoidal waveform.
Joyeeta Saha
ID:20200102170
dept. of EEE
Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Joyeeta.eee.200105170@aust.edu
Nabila Faruqui
ID:20200102173
dept. of EEE
Ahsanullah University od Science and Technology
Dhaka, Bangladesh
nabila.eee.200105173@aust.edu
C. Frequency Modulation:
• The message signal was used to modulate the carrier
signal through frequency modulation.
• We applied the frequency modulation equation, adjusting
the carrier frequency based on the instantaneous ampli-
tude of the message signal.
• Both the carrier and message signals were multiplied
together, resulting in a modulated signal.
s(t) = Ac ∗ cos(2 ∗ f c ∗ t + ∗m(t))
where s(t) represents the modulated signal, Ac is the carrier
signal amplitude, fc is the carrier frequency, t is the time
vector, is the modulation index (related to the frequency
sensitivity), and m(t) is the message signal.
D. Demodulation:
• To recover the original message signal from the modu-
lated signal, a demodulation process is performed.
• In this project, coherent demodulation was employed,
where the demodulation equation is given by:
demodulated(t) = cos(2∗f c∗t+∗m(t))∗modulated(t)
Here, modulated(t) represents the modulated signal, and
demodulated(t) is the demodulated signal.
III. S YSTEM D ESIGN AND B LOCK D IAGRAM
The software-based FM receiver system is designed to
operate solely on the software platform. The block diagram
illustrates the signal flow and processing steps involved in
demodulating the FM signal. The major components include
the FM signal source (audio file), demodulation unit, low-pass
filter, and audio playback module.
 1) FM Signal Source:
• Input block (e.g., ”From Multimedia File”) to read
the FM signal from an audio file.
2) FM Demodulation:
• Differentiation block to obtain the frequency devia-
tion.
• Integration block to recover the phase deviation.
• Low-pass filter block to extract the baseband audio
signal.
3) Audio Output: Output block (e.g., ”To Audio Device”)
to play the demodulated audio signal through the com-
puter’s audio output.
IV. I MPLEMENTATION :
A. In MATLAB:
• Read the FM signal:
– The sampling frequency (fs) is set based on the FM
signal.
– ”audioread” is used to read the FM signal from an
audio file.
– 5) Analysis: Time-domain plots allowed visualization of the
• Demodulate the FM signal:
– The time vector is defined based on the sampling
frequency.
– The carrier frequency (fc) determined to use in the
FM signal.
– Performed differentiation to obtain the frequency
deviation.
– Applied integration to recover the phase deviation.
– A low-pass filter is used to extract the baseband
audio signal.
• The software-based FM receiver project successfully de-
B. In Simulink:
1) Signal Generator block: This block is for generat-
ing the carrier signal. By configuring it to produce a
sinusoidal waveform with the desired frequency and
amplitude.
2) File Reader block: This block is used to read the audio
file into Simulink.
3) FM Modulator block: This block is for performing
frequency modulation on the carrier signal using the
message signal and connected the carrier and message
signals to the appropriate inputs of this block.
4) Scope block: This block is for visualizing the time-
domain waveforms of the modulated and demodulated
signals in Simulink.
5) Spectrum Analyzer block: This block is to observe
the output of the modulated and demodulated signals to
analyze their frequency spectra in Simulink.
6) Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) block: This
block is for simulating noise in the FM system, by using
this block Gaussian noise is introduced to the modulated
signal.
7) FM Demodulator block: This block is for demodu-
lating the modulated signal and recovering the original
message signal.
• Integrator Block:This block is used to integrate the
signal for demodulation process.
• Differentiating Block
• Low Pass Filter
V. R ESULTS :
The simulation of the Frequency Modulation (FM) system
yielded the following outcomes:
1) Message Signal: The message signal exhibited a specific
waveform and characteristics.
2) Carrier Signal: The carrier signal displayed a specific
waveform and characteristics.
3) Modulated Signal: The modulated signal showcased fre-
quency variations based on the instantaneous amplitude
of the message signal.
4) Demodulated Signal: The demodulated signal was ob-
tained by applying the demodulation process to the
modulated signal.
waveforms of the message signal, carrier signal, modu-
lated signal, and demodulated signal. Frequency spectra
analysis provided insights into the frequency content and
bandwidth of the modulated and demodulated signals.
The obtained results demonstrate the successful implementa-
tion of the FM system and its key components, including signal
generation, modulation, and demodulation. These outcomes
lay the foundation for further exploration and experimentation
in FM systems.
VI. C ONCLUSION :
signed and implemented a functional FM receiver using MAT-
LAB and Simulink. By leveraging the capabilities of these
software tools, the project achieved the demodulation of an
FM signal and the extraction of the original audio signal.
The project demonstrated the feasibility and versatility of a
software-based approach for FM signal processing. By relying
solely on software tools and algorithms, the need for external
hardware components was eliminated, making the receiver
more accessible and cost-effective.
The software-based FM receiver showcased the power of
MATLAB and Simulink in providing a comprehensive en-
vironment for signal processing and simulation. These tools
allowed for the implementation of the demodulation algorithm,
the application of a low-pass filter, and the playback of
the demodulated audio signal, all within a single software
platform.
In conclusion, the software-based FM receiver project suc-
cessfully demonstrated the potential of using MATLAB and
Simulink for FM signal processing. It laid the foundation for
future enhancements and expansions, showcasing the flexibil-
ity and adaptability of software-based approaches in the field
of FM receivers and audio signal processing.
 VII. F UTURE W ORK
Future work can involve further optimization of the de-
modulation algorithm, incorporating advanced features such
as stereo decoding, noise reduction techniques, and frequency
offset compensation methods. Additionally, the FM receiver’s
performance can be enhanced by implementing additional
signal processing algorithms within the software-based frame-
work.