Modulation

-> is the process of changing one or more properties of the carrier in proportion with the
information signal

Carrier Signal-
-> a high frequency signal in which the amplitude is constant

Modulating signal
-> a low frequency information which may be single or a complex waveform made up of many
frequencies

Importance of Modulation
-Reduce the height of antenna
-Avoids mixing of signals
-Increase the range of communication
-Allows multiplexing of signals
-Allows adjustment in the bandwidth
-Improves quality of reception

Amplitude Modulation Transmission

INTRODUCTION
Information signals are transported between a transmitter and a receiver over some form of
transmission medium. However, the original information signals are seldom in a form that is suitable for
transmission. Therefore, they must be transformed from their original form into a form that is more
suitable for transmission. The process of impressing low-frequency information signals onto a high
frequency carrier signal is called is called modulation. Demodulation is the reverse process where the
received signals are transformed back to their original form. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the
reader to the fundamental concepts of amplitude modulation (AM).

PRINCIPLES OF AMPLITUDE MODULATION

Amplitude modulation (AM) is the process of changing the amplitude of a relatively high frequency
carrier signal in proportion with the instantaneous value of the modulating signal (information). Amplitude
modulation is a relatively inexpensive, low quality form of modulation that is used for commercial
broadcasting of both audio and video signals. Amplitude modulation is also used for two-way mobile radio
communications such as citizen band (CB) radio.
AM modulators are nonlinear devices with two inputs and one output. One input is a single, high-
frequency carrier signal of constant amplitude and a second input is comprised of relatively low-frequency
information signals which may be a single frequency or a complex waveform made up of many frequencies.
Frequencies that are high enough to be efficiently radiated by an antenna and a propagated through free
space are commonly called radio frequencies, or simply RFs. IN the modulator, the information acts on or
modulates the RF carrier producing a modulated waveform. The information signal may be a single
frequency or more likely consist of a range of frequencies. For example, typical voice-grade
communications system utilize a range of information frequencies between 300Hz and 300 Hz. The
modulated output waveform from an AM modulator is often called an AM envelope.

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The AM Envelope
Although there are several types of amplitude modulation, AM double-sideband full carrier (DSBFC)
is probably the most common used. AM DSBFC in sometimes called conventional AM or simply AM. Figure
3-1 illustrates the relationship among the carrier [Vcsin(2πfct)], the modulating signal [Vmsin(2πfmt)], and the
modulated wave [Vam(t)] for conventional AM. The figure shows how an AM waveform is produced when a
single-frequency modulating signals acts on a high-frequency carrier signal. The output waveform contains
all the frequencies that make up the AM signal and it is used to transport the information through the
system. Therefore, the shape of the modulated wave is called the AM envelope. Note that with no
modulating signal, the output waveform is simply the carrier signal. However, when a modulating signal is
applied, the amplitude of the output wave varies in accordance with the modulating signal. Note that the
repetition rate of the envelope is equal to the frequency of the modulating signal, and the shape of the
envelope is identical to the shape of the modulating signal.

AM Frequency Spectrum and Bandwidth

An AM modulator is a nonlinear device. Therefore, nonlinear mixing occurs and the output
envelope is a complex wave made up of a dc voltage, the carrier frequency, and the sum (fc +fm) and
difference (fc - fm) frequencies (i.e., the cross products). The sum and difference frequencies are displaced
from the carrier frequency by an amount equal to the modulating signal frequency. Therefore, an AM signal
spectrum contains frequency components spaced fm Hz on either side of the carrier. However, it should be
noted that the modulated wave does not contain a frequency component that is equal to the modulating
signal frequency signal frequency. The effect of modulation is to translate the modulating signal in the
frequency domain so that it is reflected symmetrically about the carrier frequency.
. The AM spectrum extends from fc -fm(max) to fc +fm(max) , where fcis the carrier frequency and
fm(max)is the highest modulating signal frequency. The band frequencies between fc -fm(max) and fc is called the
lower sideband (LSB), and any frequency within this band called a lower side frequency (LSF). The band
frequencies between fc and fc +fm(max) is called the upper side-band (USB), and any frequency within this
band is called an upper side frequency (USF). Therefore, the bandwidth (B) of an AM DSBFC wave is equal

2
to the difference between the highest upper side frequency and lowest lower side frequency, or two times
the highest modulating signal frequency (i.e., B = 2fm(max) ). For radio wave propagation, the carrier and all
the frequencies within the upper and lower sidebands must be high enough to be sufficiently propagated
through Earth’s atmosphere.

Problem
For an AM DSBFC modulator with a carrier frequency fc=100 kHz and a maximum modulating signal
frequency fm(max) = 5 kHz, determine
a. Frequency limits for the upper and lower sidebands.
b. Bandwidth
c. Upper and lower side frequencies produced when the modulating signal is single-frequency 3 kHz
tone.
d. Draw the output frequency spectrum.

Problem:
A audio frequency signal 10sin2π x 500t is used to amplitude modulate a carrier of 50 sin2π x 30000t.
Calculate:
a. Modulation index
b. sideband frequencies
c. Amplitude of each sideband frequencies
d. Bandwidth required

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Problem:
A carrier with RMS voltage of 2V and a frequency of 1.5 MHz is modulated by a sine wave with a frequency
of 500Hz and amplitude if 1 Vrms. Write the equation for the resulting signal.

Coefficient of Modulation and Percent Modulation

Coefficient of modulation is a term used to describe the amount of amplitude change (modulation)
present in an AM waveform. Percent modulation is simply the coefficient of modulation 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 modulation signal. Mathematically, the odulation coefficient
is

m = Em
Ec

Where m= modulation coefficient (unitless)

Em = peak change in the amplitude of the output waveform voltage (volts)
Ec= peak amplitude of the unmodulated carrier voltage (volts)

If the modulating signal is pure, single frequency sine wave and the modulation process is symetrical (i.e
the positive and negative excursions of the envelope’s amplitude are equal), then the percent modulation
can be derived

The peak change in the amplitude of the output wave (Em) is the sum of the voltages from the upper and
lower side frequencies.

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For the AM waveform shown
a.Peak amplitude of the Upper and lower side frequencies
b.Peak amplitude of the unmodulated carrier
c.Peak change in the amplitude of the envelope
d.Coefficient of modulation
e.Percent modulation

Voltage Distribution
An unmodulated carrier can be described mathematically as
Vc(t) = Ec sin (2πfct)

In a previous section it was pointed out that the repetition rate of an envelope is equal to the frequency of
the modulating signal, the amplitude of the AM wave varies proportional to the amplitude of the
modulating signal, and the maximum amplitude of the modulated wave is equal to Ec + Em. Therefore, the
instantaneous amplitude of the modulated wave can be expressed as

Vam(t) = [Ec+Em Sin (2πfmt)][sin 2πfct]

Vam(t)= Ec sin (2πfct) – mEc cos[2π(fc+fm)t] + mEc cos[2π(fc-fm)t]

2 2

AM Power distribution
In any electrical circuit, the power dissipated is equal to the voltage squared, divided by the
resistance. Thus, the average power dissipated in a load by an unmodulated carrier is equal to the rms
carrier voltage squared, divided by the load resistance
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 Pc = (0.707Ec)2
R
= Ec2
2R

The total power in an amplitude-modulated wave is equal to the sum of the powers of the carrier,
the upper sideband, and the lower sideband.
Pt = Pc + Pusb + Plsb

Problem:
A broadcast transmitter radiates 20 kW when the modulation percentage is 75. How much of this is
carrier power? Also calculate the power of each sideband.

Problem:
A 400 W carrier is modulated to a depth of 80%. Calculate the total power in the modulated wave.

Modulation by a complex Information Signal

In the previous sections, frequency spectrum, bandwidth, coefficient of modulation, and voltage
and power distribution for double-sideband full carrier AM were analyzed for a single-frequency
modulating signal. In practice, however, the modulating signal is very often a complex waveform made up
of many sine waves with different amplitudes and frequencies. Consequently, a brief analysis will be given
of the effects such a complex modulating signal would have on an AM waveform.
When several frequencies simultaneously amplitude modulate a carrier, the combines coefficient
of modulation is the square root of the quadratic sum of the individual modulation indexes as follows

mt = sqrt (m12 + m22 + m32 + m42)

Problem:
For an AM DSBFC transmitter with an unmodulated carrier power Pc=100W that is modulated
simultaneously by three modulating signals with coefficient of modulation m1=0.2, m2=0.4 and m3=0.5,
determine
a. Total coefficient of amplitude
b. Upper and lower sideband power
c. Total transmitted power