Amplitude Modulation vs. Frequency Modulation SI.

No 1 Amplitude Modulation Amplitude of the carrier is varied according to amplitude of modulating signal. Frequency and phase kept unchanged. AM has poor fidelity due to narrow bandwidth Noise interference is more Most of the power is wasted on transmitting carrier and hence AM is inefficient. AM broadcast operates in MF and HF ranges. Coverage area is large. Frequency Modulation Frequency of the carrier is varied according to the amplitude of the modulating signal. Amplitude kept unchanged. Fidelity is better as the bandwidth is large. Noise interference is minimum. All the transmitted power is useful.

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FM broadcast operates in VHF and UHF range. Coverage area is limited to line of sight. In AM only the carrier and two sidebands In FM, infinite number of sidebands is are present. present along with carrier. Receivers are simple and inexpensive. Complex and expensive receivers. Adjacent channel interference is present. Adjacent channel interference is avoided by using guard bands. Transmitter power varies according to Transmitter power remains same modulation index. irrespective of modulation index. Depth of modulation cannot be increased There is no such limitation. It can be beyond unity. increased by increasing frequency deviation.

SI. No 1

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Frequency Modulation Frequency of the carrier is varied according to the instantaneous value of the modulating signal. Modulation index is dependent on the frequency of the modulating signal. FM can be obtained from PM The maximum frequency deviation depends on the amplitude of modulating voltage and modulating frequency. Maximum deviation occurs when modulating signal is at positive and negative peaks

Phase Modulation Phase of the carrier is varied according to the instantaneous value of the modulating signal. Modulation index remains unchanged as modulating signal frequency is changed. PM can be obtained from FM The maximum phase deviation depends only upon the amplitude of the modulating voltage. Maximum deviation occurs near zero crossings of modulating signal.

SI. No 1 2

Narrowband Frequency Modulation(NBFM) Wideband Frequency Modulation(WBFM) Spectrum contains two sidebands and Spectrum contains carrier and infinite carrier number of sidebands. Modulation index is small Modulation index large

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Modulation Index Maximum frequency deviation Range of Modulating Frequency Bandwidth

5-2500 75 KHz 30 Hz to 15 KHz Large, about 15 times higher than NBFM BW=2(f+fm) Entertainment broadcasting Infinite number of sidebands and carrier

Close to 1 5 KHz 30 Hz to 3 KHz Small. Close to AM BW=2fm FM mobile communication like police wireless, ambulances. Two sidebands and carrier

Application

Sidebands

Comparison between FM and PM

Frequency modulation 1

Phase modulation

The maximum frequency deviation The maximum phase deviation depends upon amplitude of depends only upon the amplitude of modulating voltage and modulating modulating voltage frequency Frequency of the carrier modulated by modulating signal is Phase of the carrier is modulated by modulating signal

Modulation index is increased as Modulation index remains same if modulation frequency is reduced and modulating frequency is changed vice versa Noise immunity is bette than AM and Noise immunity is better than AM but PM worse than FM FM is widely used PM is used in some mobile systems.