 Define, explain and analyze amplitude modulation

(AM), modulation index, spectral analysis,

bandwidth calculation and power analysis of AM
 Discuss and analyze double sideband suppressed
carrier (DSBSC) and single sideband suppressed
carrier (SSBSC) resistive sensors
 Discuss and analyze AM modulator and
demodulator circuit
 Evaluate noise in analogue communication system
 Amplitude Modulation (AM) Concepts
 Modulation Index (MI) and Percentage
of Modulation
 Sidebands and the Frequency Domain
 AM Power
 Single-Sideband Modulation
 Recall Modulation

 Why we need modulation?

› Information signal cannot travel far. It
needs carrier signal of higher frequency
for long distance destination.
 Definition – Amplitude Modulation:
› The process of changing the amplitude of a
relatively high frequency carrier signal in
proportion with the instantaneous value of
modulating signal (information)
› A process of translating information signal
from low band frequency to high band
frequency.
 The instantaneous value of the carrier amplitude
changes in accordance with the amplitude and
frequency variations of the modulating
(information) signal.

 Inexpensive, low quality form of modulation

Figure 1: The modulating or information
signal.

Figure 3: Principle of Amplitude

Modulation

Figure 2: The modulated carrier

signal.
 AM double-sideband full carrier (AM DSBFC) is the
most commonly used and the oldest and simplest
form of AM modulation.
 Sometimes called conventional AM or simply AM.
 The outline of the positive and negative peaks of
the carrier frequency re-create the exact shape of
the modulating (information) signal is known as
envelope.
 Note that the repetition rate of the envelope is
equal to the frequency of the modulating signal.
Figure 4: Examples of AM Modulated signals
 Representing both the modulating signal Em(t) and the
carrier signal Ec(t) in trigonometric functions.
 The AM DSBFC modulator must be able to produce
mathematical multiplication of these two analog signals

• The sine wave carrier can be expressed as

ec = Vc sin 2πfct

Vc is peak value of the unmodulated carrier

• A sine wave modulating signal can be expressed as

em = Vm sin 2πfmt

Vm is peak value of information signal

 Instantaneous value of either top or bottom
voltage envelope is
e1 = Vc + em = Vc + Vm sin 2πfmt

 Instantaneous value of complete modulated wave

can be expressed as
e2 = e1 sin 2πfct
 Substitute v1 in v2

e2 = [Vc + Vm sin (2πfmt)] sin (2πfct)

= Vc sin (2πfct) + Vm sin (2πfmt) sin (2πfct)

 The second part of the right hand side of

the equation is characteristic of AM.
Figure 5: Amplitude modulator showing input and output signals.
 Vm = mVc , so

e2 = [Vc + mVc sin (2πfmt)] sin (2πfct)

= [1 + m sin (2πfmt)] Vc sin (2πfct)

 The term in square bracket is modulating

signal + constant.
 The term outside bracket is carrier signal.
 From the equation it is obvious that the
amplitude of the carrier is unaffected by
the modulation process.
 The amplitude of the side frequencies
depend on the both the carrier amplitude
and modulation index.
 At 100% modulation the amplitudes of side
frequencies are each equal to one-half the
amplitude of the carrier.
 Used to describe the amount of amplitude
change (modulation) present in an AM
waveform.
 Percentage modulation (%m) is simply the
modulation index (m) stated as a percentage.
 More specifically percent modulation gives the
percentage change in the amplitude of the
output wave when the carrier is acted on by a
modulating signal.
 Mathematically, the modulation index is
m = modulation index
Vm= peak change in the amplitude Vm
output waveform (sum of voltages from m
upper and lower side frequencies) Vc
Vc= peak amplitude of the unmodulated
carrier
 And the percentage of modulation index is
Vm
%m x 100%
Vc
Figure 6: Determine the Modulation index for the above AM Modulated Wave
 If the modulating signal is a pure, single-freq
sine wave and the process is symmetrical then
the modulation index can be derived as
follows: 1
Em  (Vmax  Vmin )
2
1
Ec  (Vmax  Vmin )
2
 Therefore,
1
(Vmax  Vmin )
2 (Vmax  Vmin )
m 
1 (Vmax  Vmin )
(Vmax  Vmin )
2
 Since the peak change of modulated
output wave Em is the sum of the usf and lsf
voltages hence,
E E E
m usf lsf
where E  E
usf lsf

 Then
Eusf = peak amplitude
1
(V  V ) of the upperside
E 2 max min

E E  
usf lsf
m frequency (volts)
2 2 Elsf = peak amplitude
of the lower side
1
 (V  V ) max min
frequency (volts)
4
 From the modulated wave displayed in
the previous slide, the maximum and
minimum values of the envelope occurs
at
+Vmax = Ec + Eusb + Elsb
+Vmin = Ec – Eusb – Elsb
-Vmax = -Ec - Eusb - Elsb
-Vmin = -Ec + Eusb + Elsb
 Modulation index, m can be calculated using the
equation:
m = Emax – Emin/ Emax + Emin
= Em / Ec
= (A - B) / (A + B)

Figure 7: Trepezoidal representation of AM signal

 For proper AM operation, Ec > Em means
that 0≤ m ≤ 1.
 If Ec < Em means that m > 1 leads to severe
distortion of the modulate wave.
 If Ec = Em the percentage of modulation
index goes to 100%, means the maximum
information signal is transmitted. In this case,
Emax = 2Ec and Emin = 0.
 Amplitude of the carrier signal varies with the
information signal.
 When the carrier signal is added with modulating
signal through non-linear device (modulator), it
gives three outputs
› Lower side band frequency (LSB)
› Carrier signal frequency
› Upper Side Band frequency (USB)
 The Sum and Differences of Carrier signal
frequency and modulating signal frequency
produces USB and LSB, respectively.
 Nonlinear mixing results in a complex output
envelope consists of the carrier frequency
(fc) and the sum (fc + fm) and difference
(fc – fm) frequencies (called cross-products).
 The cross-products are displaced from the
carrier frequency by fm on both sides of it.
 AM modulated wave contains no
frequency component of fm.
 Observing an AM signal on an oscilloscope, you
see only amplitude variations of the carrier with
respect to time.
 A plot of signal amplitude versus frequency is
referred to as frequency-domain display.
 A spectrum analyzer is used to display the
frequency domain as a signal.
Figure 8: Frequency spectrum of Amplitude Modulated DBFC Wave
Figure 9: The AM wave is the algebraic sum of the carrier and upper and
lower sideband sine waves. (a) Intelligence or modulating signal. (b) Lower
sideband. (c ) Carrier. (d ) Upper sideband. (e ) Composite AM wave.
Figure 10: The relationship between the time and frequency domains.
Figure 11: AM DSBFC Modulated Signal frequency spectrum
 Bandwidth is the difference between the upper and
lower sideband frequencies.
BW = fUSB−fLSB
 The BW of an AM DSBFC wave is equal to the difference
between the highest upper side frequency and lowest
lower side frequency:
BW = [fc + fm(max)] – [fc – fm(max)]
BW = 2fm(max)
 For efficient signal transmission, the carrier and
sidebands must be high enough to be propagated
through the earth’s atmosphere.
 For a conventional AM modulator with a carrier
freq of fc = 100 kHz and the maximum modulating
signal frequency of fm(max = 5 kHz, determine:
a) Freq limits for the upper and lower sidebands.
b) Bandwidth.
c) Upper and lower side frequencies produced
when the modulating signal is a single-freq 3-kHz
tone.
d) Draw the output freq spectrum.
 One input to a conventional AM modulator is a 500-
kHz carrier with an amplitude of 20 Vp. The second
input is a 10-kHz modulating signal that is of sufficient
amplitude to cause a change in the output wave of
±7.5 Vp. Determine
a) Upper and lower side frequencies.
b) Modulation index and percentage modulation.
c) Peak amplitude of the modulated carrier and the
upper and lower side frequency voltages.
d) Maximum and minimum amplitudes of the envelope.
e) Expression for the modulated wave.
 In radio transmission, the AM signal is amplified by a
power amplifier.
 A radio antenna has a characteristic impedance that
is ideally almost pure resistance.
 The AM signal is a composite of the carrier and
sideband signal voltages.
 Each signal produces power in the antenna.
 Total transmitted power (PT) is the sum of carrier power
(Pc ) and power of the two sidebands (PUSB and PLSB).
 In any electrical circuit, the power
dissipated is equal to the voltage squared
(rms) divided by the resistance.
 Mathematically power in unmodulated
carrier is
2
(Vc / 2 ) 2 Vc
Pc  
R 2R

Pc = carrier power (watts)

Vc = peak carrier voltage (volts)
R = load resistance i.e antenna (ohms)
 The upper and lower sideband
powers will be
2 2 2
(mV c / 2) m Vc
Pus b  Plsb  
2R 8R
 Rearranging in terms of Pc,


m  Vc  m 2
2 2

Pus b  Plsb     Pc
4  2R  4
 The total power in an AM wave is
Pt  Pc  Pusb  Plsb
 Substituting the sidebands powers in terms of PC
yields
m2 m2
Pt  Pc  Pc  Pc
4 4
m2 m2
 Pc  Pc  Pc [1  ]
2 2

 Since carrier power in modulated wave is the

same as unmodulated wave, obviously power of
the carrier is unaffected by modulation process.
Figure 12: AM DSBFC Modulated Signal Power Spectrum
 When the percentage of modulation is less
than the optimum 100, there is much less
power in the sidebands.
 Output power can also be calculated by
using the formula
PT = (IT)2R
where IT is measured RF current and R is
antenna impedance. IT can be expressed
as
IT  I C 1  m2 / 2
where IC is the unmodulated carrier current
 With 100% modulation the maximum power in
both sidebands equals to one-half the carrier
power.
 One of the most significant disadvantage of
AM DSBFC is with m = 1, the efficiency of
transmission is only 33.3% of the total
transmitted signal. The less wasted in the carrier
which brings no information signal.
 The advantage of DSBFC is the use of relatively
simple, inexpensive demodulator circuits in the
receiver.
Transmitter efficiency: It’s the ratio of
average side band powers to the total
power absorbed.
AverageSidebandpower
%TE 
Totalpowerabsorbed

% TE= m²/ ( 2+m² ) X 100

Given the unmodulated carrier current of an AM
transmitter is 10 A, antenna load impedance is 50 Ω
and percentage of modulation is 85%. What is total
AM transmitted power?
Given the unmodulated carrier current of an AM
transmitter is 10 A, antenna load impedance is 50 Ω
and percentage of modulation is 85%. What is total
AM transmitted power?

Solution:
I T  10 1  (0.85) 2 / 2 = 11.67 A

PT = (11.67)2(50) = 6809 W
 For an AM DSCFC wave with a peak unmodulated carrier
voltage Vc = 10 Vp, a load resistor of RL = 10  and m = 1,
determine
a) Powers of the carrier and the upper and lower sidebands.
b) Total sideband power.
c) Total power of the modulated wave.
d) Draw the power spectrum.
e) Repeat the steps (a) to (d) for a modulation index m=0.5.
 For an AM DSCFC wave with a peak unmodulated carrier voltage Vc = 10
Vp, a load resistor of RL = 10  and m = 1, determine
a) Powers of the carrier and the upper and lower sidebands.
b) Total sideband power.
c) Total power of the modulated wave.
d) Draw the power spectrum.
e) Repeat the steps (a) to (d) for a modulation index m=0.5.

Solutions
m=1; m=0.5;
Pc = 5 W Pc = 5 W
Pusb=Plsb= 1.25 W Pusb=Plsb= 0.3125 W
Pt-sb= 2.5 W Pt-sb= 0.625 W
Pt= 7.5 W Pt= 5.625 W
 When several frequencies simultaneously
amplitude modulate a carrier, the
combined coefficient of modulation is
defined as:

m  m  m  m  ...  m
t 1
2 2

2
2

3 n
2

mt=total modulation index/coefficient of modulation

m1, m2, m3, mn= modulation index/coefficient of
modulation for input 1, 2 ,3 , n
 For an AM DSBFC transmitter with an
unmodulated carrier power, Pc= 100W that is
modulated simultaneously by three modulating
signals, with coefficients of modulation m1=0.2,
m2= 0.4, m3=0.3, determine:

a) Total coefficient of modulation

b) Upper and lower sideband power
c) Total transmitted power
 In amplitude modulation, two-thirds of the
transmitted power is in the carrier, which conveys
no information.
 Signal information is contained within the
sidebands.
 Single-sideband (SSB) is a form of AM where the
carrier is suppressed and one sideband is
eliminated.
 Conventional form of AM is called double-
sideband full carrier (DSBFC).
 The first step in generating an SSB signal is to suppress
the carrier, leaving the upper and lower sidebands.
 This type of signal is called a double-sideband
suppressed carrier (DSB-SC) signal. No power is
wasted on the carrier.
 A balanced modulator is a circuit used to produce
the sum and difference frequencies of a DSB-SC
signal but to cancel or balance out the carrier.
 DSB is not widely used because the signal is difficult
to demodulate (recover) at the receiver.
DSB-SC consist of the product of the modulating signal
and carrier signal.
EDSB-SC = EcEm
= Ec sin (2πfct) Em sin (2πfmt)

using trigonometry identity,

1 1
EDSB-SC = EcEm [ cos 2π(fc-fm)t - cos
2
2π(fc+fm)t]
2

The signal consist of two waveform with sideband

frequencies (no carrier). If no modulating signal (Em =0)
there will be no modulated signal produced.
Figure 13: A frequency-domain display of DSB signal.
 One sideband is all that is necessary to
convey information in a signal.
 A single-sideband suppressed carrier
(SSSC) signal is generated by suppressing
the carrier and one sideband.
SSB signals offer four major benefits:
1. Spectrum space is conserved and allows more
signals to be transmitted in the same frequency
range.
2. All power is channeled into a single sideband. This
produces a stronger signal that will carry farther and
will be more reliably received at greater distances.
3. Occupied bandwidth space is narrower and noise in
the signal is reduced.
4. There is less selective fading over long distances.
Signal Side Band Power Considerations
◦ In SSB, the transmitter output is expressed in terms
of peak envelope power (PEP), the maximum
power produced on voice amplitude peaks.
◦ PEP is given by
PEP = Vrms2/R

◦ Example : A voice signal produces 360 V peak-to-

peak signal across 50 Ω load.
[(360/2)0.707]2
PEP = = 324 W
50
Disadvantages of DSB and SSB
› Single and double-sideband are not widely
used because the signals are difficult to
recover (i.e. demodulate) at the receiver.
› A low power, pilot carrier is sometimes
transmitted along with sidebands in order to
more easily recover the signal at the
receiver.
Applications of DSB and SSB
◦ Two-way communication in military and radio
amateurs (ham radio).
◦ Transmit two-channel stereo signal.
◦ Transmit color information for TV picture.
◦ A vestigial sideband signal (VSB) is produced
by partially suppressing the lower sideband.
This kind of signal is used in TV transmission.