By Engr. Joel T.

Mendoza
& Engr. Silverio V. Magday Jr
 AMPLITUDE MODULATION
A system of
modulation in which
the amplitude of the
carrier is made
proportional to the Information
instantaneous or
AM
amplitude of the modulating modulator Output
modulating voltage. signal (νm) (νAM)

Carrier
Carrier voltage is made (νc )
proportional to the
instantaneous
modulating signal
 General Equation of the AM wave

let the carrier voltage be given by

νc(t) = Vc sin ωc t
and the modulating voltage be given by
νm(t) = Vm sin ωm t
then the amplitude resulting from modulation is
A = Vc + νm (t) = Vc + Vm sin ωm t

Since and Vm = Vc ma, then

Therefore A = Vc + Vc ma sin ωm t
A = Vc (1 + ma sin ωm t )

The voltage of the resulting AM wave envelope at any instant is

νAM(t) = A sin ωc t
General Form
νAM(t) = Vc (1 + ma sin ωm t) sin ωc t
Standard Form

νAM(t) = Vc sin ωc t + cos (ωc - ωm) t + cos (ωc + ωm) t

carrier lower sideband upper sideband

LSB USB
where
Vc = carrier signal peak voltage
ωc = 2Π fc = carrier signal angular frequency
ωm = 2Π fm = modulating signal angular frequency
t = instantaneous time
ma = modulation index
A carrier with an RMS voltage of 2 V and a frequency of 1.5 MHz is modulated by a
sine wave with a frequency of 500 Hz and amplitude of 1 V RMS. Write the equation
for the resulting signal.
 Frequency Domain of Standard AM

graph of relative amplitude of

signal against frequency Time Domain of Standard AM

νAM(t)
carrier

LSB USB

fc - fm fc fc + fm
Envelope

the curve produced by joining the tips of the

individual RF cycles of the AM waveform

envelope
 AM Modulation Index (ma)

Modulation index (modulation factor,

modulation coefficient, degree of modulation,
depth of modulation)

where

; 0 < ma < 1
Percent Modulation (Ma)

modulation index expressed as

a percentage

Ma = ma x 100%
Calculate the modulation index of Solution:
the given waveform It is easiest to use peak-to-peak
values with an oscilloscope. From the
figure we see that:
ƒusb = ƒc + ƒm
ƒlsb = ƒc − ƒm
Vlsb= Vusb = mVc/ 2
where
ƒusb = upper sideband
frequency
ƒlsb = lower sideband
frequency
Vusb = peak voltage of the
upper-sideband component
Vlsb = peak voltage of the
lower-sideband component
Vc = peak carrier voltage
Degrees of Modulation

1. Ma < 100%
undermodulation

2. Ma = 100%
modulation

3. Ma > 100%
overmodulation
Example
A modulated wave has a peak value of 2 volts. The carrier wave
equation for the voltage is 1.2 sin(20t + 15). Determine
whether the signal is overmodulated or not.

Given
Vm = 2 V
Vc = 1.2 V

Solution

ma = 1.67 (overmodulated)
• The power that is most important, however, is not the total signal power but only that
portion that is used to transmit information.
• Since the carrier in an AM signal remains unchanged with modulation, it contains no
information. Its only function is to aid in demodulating the signal at the receiver.
• AM inherently wasteful of power, compared with some other modulation schemes
The power in the carrier is easy to calculate, since the carrier by itself is a sine wave. The
carrier is given by the equation

Where:

Since Ec is the peak carrier voltage, the power developed

when this signal appears across a resistance R is simply
The next step is to find the power in each sideband. The two frequency components have
the same amplitude, so they have equal power

Since the carrier and both sidebands are part of the same
signal, the sidebands appear across the same resistance, R,
as the carrier
Since the two sidebands have equal power, the total sideband power is given by

The total power in the whole signal is just the sum of the
power in the carrier and the sidebands, so it is

or
 Summary of Power Content of an AM Signal

PT = PC + PUSB + PLSB

P T = PC

NOTE
PUSB = PLSB
where PUSB = PLSB =

PSBT =

NOTE
PC is constant value before and after modulation. PT is
the total power after modulation and is dependent on
the modulation index. The higher the modulation index,
the higher the output power.
• The total power in an AM signal increases with modulation, reaching a value 50%
greater than that of the unmodulated carrier for 100% modulation.
• The extra power with modulation goes into the sidebands: the carrier power does not
change with modulation.
• The useful power, that is, the power that carries information, is rather small, being a
maximum of one-third of the total signal power for 100% modulation and much less at
lower modulation indices. For this reason, AM transmission is more efficient when the
modulation index is as close to 1 as practicable.
Example
A transmitter supplies 8 kW to the antenna when
unmodulated. Determine the total power radiated when
modulated to 30%.

Given
Pc = 8 kW
ma = 0.3

Solution

PT = 8.36 kW
Current and Voltage Relationships

where
IC = unmodulated carrier
IT = total or modulated current
VC = unmodulated carrier voltage
VT = total or modulated voltage
ma = modulation index
Example
The antenna current of an AM transmitter is 8 A when only the
carrier is sent, but it increases to 8.93 A when the carrier is
sinusoidally modulated. Find the percentage modulation.

Given
IC = 8 A
IT = 8.93 A

Solution

ma = 0.701

Ma = 70.1%
Simultaneous Modulation

modulation by several carrier

where
VT = total modulated voltage
IT = total modulated current
maT = effective total modulation index
Find the modulation index if a 10-volt carrier is amplitude modulated by three different
frequencies, with amplitudes of 1, 2, and 3 volts respectively.

SOLUTION
The three separate modulation indices are:
Example
A 360 W carrier is simultaneously modulated by 2 audio
waves with modulation percentage of 55 and 65, respectively.
What is the total sideband power radiated?

Given
PC = 360 W
Ma1 = 55%
Ma2 = 65%

Solution

PSBT = 130.5 W
• The antenna current of an AM broadcast transmitter modulated to a depth of 40% by
an audio signal, is 15A. It increases to 20A as a result of modulation with another
audio signal. What is the modulation index from the second signal.
• Ans. 1.356
 Bandwidth Formula for AM
BW = 2 x fm (single carrier modulation)

BW = 2 x fmhighest (simultaneous modulation)

Efficiency

Percentage Power Saving

NOTE
Efficiency and power saving depends on the type of
transmission but the total transmitted power is computed on
the basis of double sideband full carrier.
Example
How many AM broadcast stations can be accommodated in a
100 kHz bandwidth if the highest modulating frequency is
5 kHz?

Given
BW = 100 kHz
fmhighest = 5 kHz

Solution
BW = 2 x fmhighest
BW = 2 x 5 kHz
BW = 10 kHz
10 stations
 AM Transmitter Functional Block Diagram
Antenna

High – level Low – level

Modulation modulation
Class B
RF Class A Class C Class C
RF linear
crystal RF buffer RF power RF output
power
oscillator amplifier amplifier amplifier
amplifier

AF AF AF Modulator
AF in processing pre – Class B (AF Class B
and amplifier power output
filtering amplifier amplier)
Crystal Oscillator
It provides a stable carrier frequency at
low power.

Buffer Amplifier

A low gain, high input impedance

amplifier that isolates the crystal
oscillator to improve its ability.

Class C RF Power Amplifier (Driver)

Provide enough gain to sufficiently drive

the modulated amplifier.
Class C RF Output Amplifier
Termed as the modulated amplifier or the RF output
amplifier. This is the output stage for high level
systems.

Linear Power Amplifier

Amplifier which provides linear power amplification

of the amplitude – modulated output signal from
the Class C modulated power amplifier (used for low
– level modulation ).
 AF Processing and Filtering
AF is processed / filtered so as to occupy the correct
bandwidth and compressed somewhat to reduce the
ratio of maximum to minimum amplitude.

AF Preamplifier

Boost the AF signal in order to provide enough gain

sufficiently to drive the modulator.

Modulator

Output is mixed with the carrier to generate the AM

signal.
Low level modulation
• Modulation before the output electrode of the final amplifier
stage of the transmitter

High level modulation

• Modulation at the output electrode of the final amplifier stage
of the transmitter
• GRID MODULATED AMPLIFIERS
• - RF carrier output power can only be about 30-33% of the DC input to the
modulated stage
• -Various forms include screen, suppressor, cathode and clamp-tube modulation
• -Popular and yet very simple and a better modulation method
• PLATE MODULATED AMPLIFIER
• Most widely used method of obtaining amplitude modulation for broadcasting and
other high-power transmission applications. Popular because of its efficiency
• RF carrier output power can be as high as 70-75% of the DC input to the modulated
stage (but requires an audio power equal to half of the DC input of the modulated
stage)

Note:
The whole beauty of an amplifier still depends on the ability to control a high current
or voltage by the application of a relatively low power control signal applied to any
type or configurations of modulator amplifiers.