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Noise Analysis - AM, FM

The following assumptions are made:
• Channel model
– distortionless
– Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN)

• Receiver Model (see Figure 1)

– ideal bandpass filter
– ideal demodulator

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Modulated signal x(t)

s(t)
Σ BPF Demodulator

w(t)

Figure 1: The Receiver Model

• BPF (Bandpass filter) - bandwidth is equal to the message

bandwidth B
• midband frequency is ωc .
Power Spectral Density of Noise
N0
• 2 , and is defined for both positive and negative frequency (see
Figure 2).

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• N0 is the average power/(unit BW) at the front-end of the
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receiver in AM and DSB-SC.

N
0
2

−ω ω
c c ω

4π B 4π B

Figure 2: Bandlimited noise spectrum

The filtered signal available for demodulation is given by:

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x(t) = s(t) + n(t)

n(t) = nI (t) cos ωc t
−nQ (t) sin ωc t

nI (t) cos ωc t is the in-phase component and

nQ (t) sin ωc t is the quadrature component.
n(t) is the representation for narrowband noise.
There are different measures that are used to define the Figure of
Merit of different modulators:
• Input SNR:

Average power of modulated signal s(t)

(SN R)I =
Average power of noise
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• Output SNR:

Average power of demodulated signal s(t)

(SN R)O =
Average power of noise
The Output SNR is measured at the receiver.
• Channel SNR:

Average power of modulated signal s(t)

(SN R)C =
Average power of noise in message bandwidth

• Figure of Merit (FoM) of Receiver:

(SN R)O
F oM =
(SN R)C

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To compare across different modulators, we assume that (see
Figure 3):
• The modulated signal s(t) of each system has the same average
power
• Channel noise w(t) has the same average power in the message
bandwidth B.

m(t) Output
Low Pass Filter
message with same
Σ (B)
power as modulated wave

n(t)

Figure 3: Basic Channel Model

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Figure of Merit (FoM) Analysis

• DSB-SC (see Figure 4)

s(t) = CAc cos(ωc t)m(t)

A2c C 2 P
(SN R)C =
2BN0
Z +2πB
P = SM (ω)dω
−2πB
x(t) = s(t) + n(t)
CAc cos(ωc t)m(t)
+nI (t) cos ωc t + nQ (t) sin ωc t

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m(t) v(t) y(t)

Band Pass Filter Product Low Pass Filter
message with same
Σ (B) Modulator (B)
power as modulated wave

n(t) Local
Oscillator

Figure 4: Analysis of DSB-SC System in Noise

The output of the product modulator is

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v(t) = x(t) cos(ωc t)

1 1
= Ac m(t) + nI (t)
2 2
1
+ [CAc m(t) + nI (t)] cos 2ωc t
2
1
− nQ (t) sin 2ωc t
2
The Low pass filter output is:

1 1
= Ac m(t) + nI (t)
2 2
– =⇒ ONLY inphase component of noise nI (t) at the output
– =⇒ Quadrature component of noise nQ (t) is filtered at the
output

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– Band pass filter width = 2B
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Receiver output is nI2(t)

Average power of nI (t) same as that n(t)

1
Average noise power = ( )2 2BN0
2
1
= BN0
2
C 2 A2c P/4
(SN R)O,DSB−SC =
BN0 /2
C 2 A2c P
=
2BN0
 
(SN R)O
F oMDSB−SC = |DSB−SC = 1
(SN R)C

• Amplitude Modulation

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– The receiver model is as shown in Figure 5
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m(t) x(t) v(t)

Band Pass Filter Envelope
message with same
Σ (B) Modulator
power as modulated wave

n(t)

Figure 5: Analysis of AM System in Noise

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s(t) = Ac [1 + ka m(t)] cos ωc t

A2c (1 + ka2 P )
(SN R)C,AM =
2BN0
x(t) = s(t) + n(t)
= [Ac + Ac ka m(t) + nI (t)] cos ωc t
−nQ (t) sin ωc t
y(t) = envelope of x(t)
 2 2
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= [Ac + Ac ka m(t) + nI (t)] + nQ (t)
≈ Ac + Ac ka m(t) + nI (t)
A2c ka2 P
(SN R)O,AM ≈
2BN0
ka2 P
 
(SN R)O
F oMAM = |AM =
(SN R)C 1 + ka2 P

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Thus the F oMAM is always inferior to F oMDSB−SC
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– Frequency Modulation
∗ The analysis for FM is rather complex
∗ The receiver model is as shown in Figure 6
m(t) x(t)
Band Pass Filter
Σ Limiter Discriminator
message with same (B)
power as modulated wave

y(t)
Bandpass
low pass filter
n(t)

Figure 6: Analysis of FM System in Noise

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3A2c kf2 P
(SN R)O,F M =
2N0 B 3
A2c
(SN R)C,F M =
2BN0
3kf2 P
 
(SN R)O
F oMF M = |F M =
(SN R)C B2
The significance of this is that when the carrier SNR is
high, an increase in transmission bandwidth BT provides a
corresponding quadratic increase in output SNR or F oMF M

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