Amplitude Modulation (Contd)

Lesson 07
EEE 352 Analog Communication Sytems
Mansoor Khan
 DSB-FC – Full AM
 AM modulation is a fundamental modulation process in
communication system.
 Carrier frequency signal >> than modulating frequency signal.
=> fc >> fm.
 Modulator is used to generate AM signal, amDSB-FC(t). It is shown
in block diagram below.

vm(t) AM Modulator v AM (t )  Ec  vm (t )  cos ct

Modulating
vc(t) AM modulated signal
signal   2f
Carrier signal
 Let :
vm (t )  Em cos mt and vc (t )  Ec cos ct
 Therefore, amDSBFC signal can be expressed:
v AM (t )  Ec  vm t  cos c t
v AM (t )  Ec  Em cos mt  cos c t
Em
m
 Given the modulation index : Ec

v AM (t )  Ec 1  m cos mt cos ct

 amDSBFC can be deduced to:
cos( A) cos( B)  cos A  B   cos A  B 
1 1
 From trigonometry identities: 2 2

v AM (t )  Ec cos  ct  mEc cos  ct cos  mt

cos c   m t  cos c   m t
 Therefore: mEc mEc
 Ec cos  ct 
2 23
  Signal frequency spectrum ; amDSBFC

v AM (t )  Ec cos ct 
mEc
cosc  m t  cosc  m t 
2

Carrier signal Sidebands signal

Amplitud (V )
Carrier band where
Modulating band Ec mEc Em
mEc mEc 
Em 2 2
2 2

0 m c  m c c  m  (rads 1 )
LSB USB
 EXAMPLE

 One input to a conventional AM modulator is a 500kHz

carrier with an amplitude of 20Vp. The second input is
a 10kHz modulating signal that is of sufficient
amplitude to cause a change in the output wave of
7.5Vp. Determine
 Upper and lower side frequencies.
 Modulation coefficient and percent modulation
 Peak amplitude of the modulated carrier and the upper and lower side
frequency voltages.
 Maximum and minimum amplitudes of the envelope.
 Expression for the modulated wave.
 Draw the output spectrum.
 Sketch the output envelope.
 Example
 If the modulated wave has the equation,
vam (t )  150 sin(2 250t )  60 cos(2 282t )  60 cos(2 218t )V
–
– find
• (a) the carrier freq
• (b) the usf and lsf
• (c) the modulating signal freq
• (d) the peak amplitude of the carrier signal
• (e) the upper and lower side signal peak amplitude
• (f) the change In peak amplitude of the modulated wave
• (g) the coefficient of modulation.
Full-Carrier AM: Time Domain
• Modulation Index - The ratio between the amplitudes
between the amplitudes of the modulating signal and
carrier, expressed by the equation:

Em
m=
Ec
 Modulation index from AM waveform

V max  Ec  Em ; V min  Ec  Em
1
Em  (V max  V min )
ASSUMPTIONS:
• MODULATING SIGNAL IS A TONE
2 • MODULATING PROCESS IS SYMMETRICAL
1 (EQUAL + and – ENVELOPE EXCURCIONS)
Ec  (V max  V min )
2
Em V V

max min

Ec V max  V min

Em 1
Eusf  Elsf   (V max V min )
2 4
EUSF = PEAK AMPLITUDE OF THE UPPER SIDE FREQUENCY
ELSF = PEAK AMPLITUDE OF THE LOWER SIDE FREQUENCY
 AMPLITUDE MODULATION (DSB-FC)

Modulating Signal

Unmodulated Carrier

50% Modulation

100% Modulation
Overmodulation and Distortion
 The modulation index should be a number between 0 and 1.
 If the amplitude of the modulating voltage is higher than the
carrier voltage, m will be greater than 1, causing distortion.
 If the distortion is great enough, the intelligence signal becomes
unintelligible.
 Distortion of voice transmissions produces garbled, harsh, or
unnatural sounds in the speaker.
 Distortion of video signals produces a scrambled and inaccurate
picture on a TV screen.
 Modulation Index for Multiple
Modulating Frequencies
• Two or more sine waves of different, uncorrelated
frequencies modulating a single carrier is calculated by the
equation:
 Pc = 1000W
• Calculate total power
Power

Plsb = 160W Pusb = 160W • Conclusion ???

flsb fc fusb Frequency

The total power being transmitted is (1000).(1 + 0.82) = 1320W
2

No Carrier
Power

Plsb = 160W Pusb = 160W

flsb fc fusb Frequency

The total power being transmitted is now reduced to 320W
 DSBFC is wasteful of Power
 75.6% of total transmitted power taken up by carrier.

Pc = 1000W
Power

Plsb = 160W Pusb = 160W

flsb fc fusb Frequency

The total power being transmitted is (1000).(1 + 0.82) = 1320W
2

In transmitting 1320W of the total power, the carrier contains

1000W and does not contain any information being transmitted. The
side freq each have 160W and each carries a copy of the same info
signal.
So, 1320W is being used in order to transmit only 160W.
 DSB is wasteful of Bandwidth

 DSB has a Wide Bandwidth

 wasteful BW usage i.e info in USB = info in LSB

Ifso much of the transmitted wave is not required, then why

transmit it? – any alternative? – DSBSC?
 DSB Suppressed Carrier (DSBSC)
 Generated by circuit called balanced modulator where it produces
sum (fusb) and difference (flsb) freq but cancel or balance out the
carrier (fc).

No Carrier
Power

Plsb = 160W Pusb = 160W

flsb fc fusb Frequency

The total power being transmitted is now reduced to 320W

DSBSC helps in reducing power but bandwidth still the same as

DSBFC.
 Suppressing the carrier
 Eliminating the carrier results in a double-
sideband suppressed carrier (DSSC or DSB)
signal shown below.

Full carrier AM signal Suppressed carrier AM signal (DSB)

2 2

1.5 1.5

1 1

0.5 0.5
Voltage (V)

Voltage (V)

0 0

-0.5 -0.5

-1 -1

-1.5 -1.5

-2 -2
T ime (sec) T ime (sec)

Note the phase transitions

 DSBSC in frequency domain
Full carrier AM signal Suppressed carrier AM signal (DSB)
2 2

1.5 1.5

1 1

0.5 0.5

Voltage (V)
Voltage (V)

0 0

-0.5 -0.5

-1 -1

-1.5 -1.5

-2 -2
T ime (sec) T ime (sec)

0.5
0.5

0.4
0.4

Voltage (V)
Frequency domain Frequency domain
Voltage (V)

0.3
0.3

0.2
0.2

0.1
0.1

0
0 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Frequency (Hz)
Frequency (Hz)
 AM Power Distribution
 The average power dissipated in a load by unmodulated
carrier is equal to the rms carrier voltage, Ec squared
divided by the load resistance, R.

 Mathematically, power in unmodulated carrier, Pc is:

( Ec ( rms) ) 2 ( Ec 2 )2
2
Ec
Pc   
R R 2R
 AM Power Distribution
 The upper and lower sideband powers:
2
(mEc 2) 2 m 2 Ec
Pusb  Plsb  
• 2R 8R
– where mEc/2 is the peak voltage of usf and lsf.
– Then, m2  E  m2
2
Pusb  Plsb  
c
 Pc
4  2R  4

 Total transmitted power in DSBFC AM envelope:

Pt  Pc  Pusb  Plsb
m2 m2
 Pc  Pc  Pc
4 4
m2  m2 
 Pc  Pc  Pc 1  
2  2 
 AM Power Distribution
m2 m2 m2  m2 
Pt  Pc  Pusb  Plsb  Pc  Pc  Pc  Pc  Pc  Pc 1  
4 4 2  2 

Power Spectrum for

AM DSBFC wave

Note:
Carrier power in the modulated signal is the same in the unmodulated signal i.e
carrier power is unaffected by the modulation process.
The total power in an AM envelope increase with modulation (i.e as m , Pt ).
Major disadvantage of AM DSBFC is most of the power is wasted in the carrier. (It
does not contain info, info is contained in the sidebands).
 Sideband and Carrier Power (cont)

• The sideband power is the useful power and the Carrier

Power is the power wasted

• We define the Power Efficiency as

~~~~~~~
1 2 ~~~~~~~
UsefulPowe r Ps m (t ) 2
m (t )
   2  *100%
TotalPower Pc  Ps A2 1~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

 m (t )
2 A 2
 m 2
(t )
2 2
 Sideband and Carrier Power (cont)
For the special case of tone modulation
m(t )  A cos m t
then its power is
~~~~~~~
m 2
(t ) 
A2
2
then

1 A A
2 2

 2
  2 2 2 2 *100% 2 *100%  *100%
A 1 A A 2
2 2
 A 
2

2 2 2 2
The max value when   1(100% modulation) is   33%
 Example
 Determine the maximum sideband power if the carrier
output is 1 kW and calculate the total maximum
transmitted power.

Since ESF = mEc/2,

It is obvious that the max SB power occurs when m = 1 or 100%, and
also when m = 1, each side freq is ½ the carrier amplitude.
Since power is proportional to the square of voltage, each SB has ¼
of the carrier power i.e ¼ x 1kW, or 250W.
Therefore, total SB power is 250W x 2 = 500W.
And the total transmitted power is 1kW + 500W = 1.5kW
 Importance of High-percentage
Modulation
m Pc P1SB PSBs PT E
1.0 1kW 250W 500W 1.5kW 0.3
0.5 1kW 62.5W 125W 1.125kW 0.1
Table: Effective transmission at 50% versus 100% modulation

Notes
Even though the total transmitted power has only fallen from 1.5kW to
1.125kW, the effective transmission has only ¼ the strength at 50% modulation as
compared to 100%.
Because of these considerations, most AM transmitter attempts to maintain
between 90 and 95 percent modulation as a compromise between efficiency and
the chance of drifting into overmodulation.
 Generation of AM Signals

• Any DSB-SC modulators are valid if the modulating signal is

A  m(t )
• Because the carrier does not need to be suppressed, we do
not need balanced circuits

• The modulators are then very simple

Switching Modulator
 Switching Modulator (cont)

• The input is c cos ct  m(t ) with c>>m(t) so the switching

action does not depends on m(t)

vbb'  c cos c t  m(t )w(t )

1 2  
 c cos c t  m(t )   cos  c t  cos 3 c t  cos 5 c t.....
1 1
vbb'
2   3 5 

c 2 
vbb'   cos  c t  m(t ) cos c t   etc
2  
 Demodulation of AM Signals

• We do not need a local generated carrier in this case

• If we have undermodulation then we can use

1. Rectifier detection
2. Envelope detection
Rectifier detector
 Rectifier detector (cont)

• If the AM wave is applied to diode and resistor circuit. The

negative part of the AM is supressed. This is like saying that
we have half wave rectified the AM

Mathematically

1 2  
v R'  A  m(t )cos c t    cos  c t  cos 3c t  cos 5c t.....
1 1
2   3 5 

vR ' 
1
A  m(t )  other terms

 Rectifier detector (cont)

• If we pass this voltage thru a LPF we get

v filtered 
1
A  m(t )

• If we use a capacitor, we block the DC and we obtain

vout 
1
m(t )

Envelope detector
 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation
(QAM)
• DSB signals occupy twice the bandwidth required for the base
band.

• This disadvantage can be overcome by transmitting two DSB

signals using carriers of the same frequency but in phase
quadrature

 QAM  m1 (t ) cos c t  m2 (t ) sin c t

• The message signals m1(t) & m2(t) are in-phase & quadrature-
phase components of φQAM(t)
Modulation and Demodulation of QAM
 QAM (cont)
• We can obtain both the signals by using two local carriers in
phase quadrature
x1 (t )  2QAM cos c t  2m1 (t ) cos c t  m2 (t ) sin c t cos c t
x1 (t )  m1 (t )  m1 (t ) cos 2c t  m2 (t ) sin 2c t

• Similarly the output of the lower branch can be shown as

• A slight error in phase leads to distortion and mixing of signals

x1 (t )  2QAM cos c t  2m1 (t ) cos c t  m2 (t ) sin c t cosc t   

x1 (t )  m1 (t ) cos   m2 (t ) sin 