PRINCIPLES OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS (4th Edition)

By LOUIS E. FRENZEL JR.

CHAPTER 3

Amplitude Modulation Fundamentals

The carrier, which is normally a sine wave, is modulated by the baseband voice,

film, or digital signal during the modulation process. The intelligence signal may

modulate the amplitude, frequency, or phase of a sine wave carrier. The information

signal modulates the amplitude of the carrier sine wave in Amplitude Modulation (AM).

The instantaneous magnitude of the carrier amplitude varies in response to the

modulating signal's amplitude and frequency variations. By multiplying the carrier sine

wave by a gain or attenuation factor that varies according to the intelligence signal,

amplitude modulation can be achieved. Through linearly integrating the carrier and

intelligence signals and adding the effect to a nonlinear part or circuit, amplitude

modulation may be achieved. An example is a diode. The simplest AM circuit uses

resistors to combine the carrier and information signal linearly, a diode to rectify the

result, and a tuned circuit to finish the waveform. The precise structure of the

modulating information signal is determined by an imaginary line linking the positive and

negative peaks of the carrier waveform. The envelope is the imaginary line on the

carrier waveform.

The circuit that produces AM is known as a modulator. The carrier and the

modulating signal are its two inputs. The product of the carrier and modulating signals is
computed by amplitude modulators. Analog multipliers, mixers, converters, product

detectors, and phase detectors are all circuits that compute the product of two analog

signals. A modulator is a circuit that converts a lower-frequency baseband or knowledge

signal to a higher-frequency signal. A detector or demodulator is a circuit that recovers

the initial intelligence signal from an AM wave. The relationship between the modulating

signal's amplitude and the carrier signal's amplitude is crucial. The modulation index m

denotes this relationship (also called the modulating factor or coefficient, or the degree

of modulation). The percentage of modulation is calculated by multiplying the

modulation index by 100.

A number between 0 and 1 can be used as the modulation index. If the

modulating voltage's amplitude is greater than the carrier voltage's, m would be greater

than 1, allowing the modulated waveform to be distorted. A sine wave information signal

modulates a sine wave carrier, but the modulating voltage is significantly higher than the

carrier voltage, resulting in a state known as over modulation. It's difficult to avoid over

modulation. Normally, the modulating signal's amplitude is modified such that only the

voice peaks produce 100% modulation. Over modulation and distortion are avoided as

a result. Compression circuits are automatic circuits that address this issue by

amplifying lower-level signals while suppressing or compressing higher-level signals. As

a consequence, the total power output ratio is increased without over modulation. Over

modulation causes neighboring channel interruption as well as distortion. A non-

sinusoidal information signal is generated by distortion.

As an information signal modulates a carrier, new signals of different frequencies

are produced as part of the operation. These new frequencies, known as side
frequencies or sidebands, appear immediately above and below the carrier frequency in

the frequency continuum. The sidebands appear at frequencies that are the number and

variance of the carrier and modulating frequencies, in more detail. When a waveform

contains signals of several frequencies, it is always preferable to display the AM signal

in the frequency domain rather than the time domain.

As complex signals like pulses or rectangular waves modulate a carrier, they

emit a wide range of sidebands. Complex signals, such as square waves, triangle

waves, saw tooth waves, and warped sine waves, are essentially made up of a

fundamental sine wave and various harmonic signals of varying amplitudes, according

to Fourier theory. Amplitude-shift keying is amplitude modulation using square waves or

rectangular binary pulses (ASK). When binary data must be exchanged, ASK is used in

certain forms of data exchange. By merely turning the carrier on and off, another crude

form of amplitude modulation may be done. The transmission of Morse code using dots

and dashes is an example. Continuous-wave (CW) transmissions are the most common

form of code transmission. ON/OFF keying is another name for this kind of transmission

(OOK). About the fact that only the carrier is broadcast, such ON/OFF signals produce

sidebands. The sidebands are caused by the pulses' frequency or repetition rate, as

well as their harmonics. Other signals can be present and interact with the harmonics if

they overlap into neighboring channels. Because of how it feels at the receiver, such

harmonic sideband interference is often referred to as splatter. Over modulation and

splatter can be quickly avoided by lowering the modulating signal's level with gain

control or, in some situations, amplitude-limiting or compression circuits.

characteristic impedance that is preferably, but not always, nearly pure resistance in

radio transmission. The AM signal is made up of many signal voltages, including the

carrier and two sidebands, each of which generates electricity in the antenna. Two-

thirds of the transmitted power in amplitude modulation is in the carrier, which carries no

detail. The sidebands are where the true knowledge is kept. Suppressing the carrier and

eliminating one sideband is one way to increase the performance of amplitude

modulation. A single-sideband (SSB) signal is the consequence. SSB is a form of AM

that offers unique benefits in some types of electronic communication.

The carrier is suppressed first, leaving only the upper and lower sidebands to

generate an SSB signal. A double-sideband suppressed carrier (DSSC or DSB) signal

is the name for this kind of signal. AM with no carrier is actually a special case of

double-sideband suppressed carrier modulation. The spectrum area used by a DSB

signal is the same as that used by a standard AM signal in a frequency-domain display.

The codes used to denote the various forms of signals that can be sent by radio or

cable. A capital letter and a number make up the standard code, with lowercase

subscript letters used for more complex meanings.