Chap.

6: Behavior of Analog Systems In the Presence of Noise

6.1 Transmission Quality Measurement (figure of merit)

A typical baseband system can be modeled as
Channel noise
n(t)
m(t) ST
Transmitter Channel Receiver
H_p H_c H_d
Si, n(t) So , σ 2

Figure 1: Baseband system.

The system model is

• the message signal is m(t), with BW B and power E[m2 (t)] = Sm ; transmit power is
ST ;
• channel only introduces AWGN noise, n(t), with PSD Sn (f ) = N0 /2;
• the received signal power at receiver frontend is Si .

• receiver output consists of signal with power So , and noise component with power σ 2 .
• For analog message signal m(t), the quality of the received signal is determined by
So /σ 2 (SNR);
• So /σ 2 can be increased by increasing ST . For fair comparison and for easy convenience,
we shall investigate SNR with a given Si .
For this kind of basedband system, since there is no modulation, the receiver can be
understood as a low pass filter with a BW B. Therefore,
• The received signal (message + noise) at the front end of the receiver:
yi (t) = m(t) + n(t)
• The filtered output: yo (t) = m(t) + nLP (t)
• Noise power
! B
2 N0
σ = Sn (f )df = 2B = N0 B
−B 2
• Signal to noise ratio:
So E[m2 (t)] Si
2
= = =γ
σ N0 B N0 B
• Observe that So = Si , this figure “γ” will be our benchmark against which we will

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 compare other transmission (modulation) systems.

6.2 Bandpass System – DSB-SC

√ √
2 cos ωct 2 cos ωct
n(t)

m(t) Bandpass
LPF k m(t)
filter
fc ± B

Si, σi2, yi(t) So, σo2, yo(t)

Transmitter Channel Receiver

s(t)

Figure 2: DSB-SC system.

For general bandpass system (with modulation),

• Transmitted signal s(t) is the modulated waveform:

s(t) = A(t) cos(ωc t + φ(t))

• Channel: additive white Gaussian noise with PSD Sn (f ) = N0 /2.

• Receiver frontend is a BPF (with bandwidth appropriately chosen) to suppress out of

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 band AWGN noise
yi (t) = s(t) + nc cos ωc t + ns sin ωc t

• Steps:
1. measure Si , σi2 , and SN Ri ;
2. measure So , σo2 , and SN Ro ;
3. express SN Ro in terms of SN Ri , and compare with the baseband case (γ). Check if
the modulation wave transmission improves the SN Ro .

DSB-SC

√ √
2 cos ωct 2 cos ωct
n(t)

m(t) Bandpass
LPF k m(t)
filter
fc ± B

Si, σi2, yi(t) So, σo2, yo(t)

Transmitter Channel Receiver

s(t)

Figure 3: DSB-SC system.

Besides the specifications introduced above for general passband system, the low pass filter
(LPF) bandwidth is B. We have following analysis:
√
• Channel input: s(t) = 2m(t) cos ωc t
√
• Channel output (also as the receiver frontend): 2m(t) cos ωc t + n(t)
• BPF output:
√ √
yi (t) = 2m(t) cos ωc t + ni (t) = 2m(t) cos ωc t + nc (t) cos ωc t + ns (t) sin ωc t

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 • Demodulator output
√
yo (t) = [ 2yi (t) cos ωc t] ∗ hLP F (t)
√ √
= [2m(t) cos2 ωc t + 2nc (t) cos2 ωc t + 2ns (t) cos ωc t sin ωc t] ∗ hLP F (t)
1
= m(t) + √ nc (t) (1)
2
Now, look at SNR at several stages:
• Step 1: (after BPF, i.e., input to the demodulator)
√
Si = E[ 2m(t) cos ωc t]2 = 2E[m2 (t)]E[cos2 (ωc t)] = E[m2 (t)] = Sm
σi2 = E[n2i (t)] = 2N0 B

• Step 2: (output of LPF)

So = E[m2 (t)] = Sm = Si
" #2
1 1 1
σo2 = √ E[n2c (t)] = E[n2i (t)] = 2N0 B = N0 B
2 2 2
• Step 3:
So Si
SN Ro = 2
= =γ
σo N0 B

For a fixed transmit power, the SNR at the demodulator output is the same for the baseband
and the DSB-SC system. Theoretically, baseband and DSB-SC systems have identical
capabilities.

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 6.3: SSB-SC

An SSB-SC system is shown below. Suppose we consider USB. The passband of the BPF is
[fc , fc + B] with a bandwidth B; LPF is the same as DSB-SC with bandwidth B

2 cos ωct 2 cos ωct

n(t)
m(t) Bandpass
SSB k m(t)
filter LPF
filter
LSB

Si, σi2, yi(t) So, σo2, yo(t)

Transmitter Channel Receiver

s(t)

Figure 4: DSB-SC system.

• Channel input (for USB)

SU SB (t) = m(t) cos ωc t − mh (t) sin ωc t

1 1
E[SU2 SB (t)] = E[m2 (t)] + E[m2h (t)] = E[m2 (t)] = Sm
2 2

• Channel output:

y(t) = SU SB (t) = m(t) cos ωc t − mh (t) sin ωc t + n(t)

• BPF output:

yi (t) = m(t) cos ωc t − mh (t) sin ωc t + nc (t) cos ωc t + ns (t) sin ωc t

• Demodulator output

yo (t) = [2yi (t) cos ωc t] ∗ hLP F (t)

= {[m(t) + nc (t)] cos ωc t + [ns (t) − mh (t)] sin ωc t}{2 cos ωc t} ∗ hLP F (t)
= {[m(t) + nc (t)] + [m(t) + nc (t)] cos 2ωc t + [ns (t) − mh (t)] sin 2ωc t} ∗ hLP F (t)
= m(t) + nc (t)

Now, look at SNR at several stages:

• Step 1: (after BPF)

2 N0
Si = E[SSSB ] = E[m2 (t)] = Sm σi2 = (2)(B) = N0 B
2

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 • Step 2: (output of LPF)

So = E[m2 (t)] = Sm σo2 = E[n2c (t) = E[n2i (t)] = N0 B

• Step 3
So Si
SN Ro = 2
= =γ
σo N0 B
We have
SN RDSB−SC = SN RSSB−SC = SN Rbaseband = γ

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6.4 AM: Coherent/synchronous AM

Coherent AM detection is identical to DSB-SC in every respect except for the additional and
redundant carrier term. For re-emphasize, the BPF passband is [fc − B, fc + B] with a BW
of 2B. The LPF BW is B.

• AM signal is given as:

√
φAM = 2[A + m(t)] cos ωc t
Signal power:
√
Si = ( 2)2 E[(A + m(t))2 ]E[cos2 ωc t] = A2 + E[m2 (t)] = A2 + Sm

• Demodulation:
√
φAM · 2 cos ωc t = 2[A + m(t)] cos2 ωc t = [A + m(t)] + [A + m(t)] cos(2ωc t)

• LPF output = m(t) (with DC removed). Therefore,

So = E[m2 (t)] = Sm

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• The noise after BPF is ni (t). Before it is fed to LPF, the noise is
√ √ √
2ni (t) cos(ωc t) = 2nc cos2 (ωc t) + 2ns cos(ωc t) sin(ωc t)
1 1 1
= √ nc (t) + √ nc (t) cos(2ωc t) + √ ns (t) sin(2ωc t)
2 2 2
After LPF:
1 1 1 1
no (t) = √ nc (t) σo2 = E[n2c (t)] = E[n2i (t)] = 2N0 B = N0 B
2 2 2 2

• Therefore,
So Sm Sm Si Sm
SN R = 2
= = 2 · = 2 γ
σo N0 B A + Sm N0 B A + Sm
Observe that A ≥ mp = [m(t)]max and for maximum SN R at A = mp
Sm 1
[SN R]max = γ= γ
m2p+ Sm t+1

where t = m2p /Sm ≥ 1, which leads to

SN R ≤ γ/2

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Therefore,
SN RAM ≤ SN RDSB/SSB − 3dB.

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 6.5 AM: Envelope Detection

For ED, the transmit part and the receiver front end BPF is the same as the case for coherent
AM in Chap.6.4. We begin the analysis from the signal at the output of BPF (input to the
demodulator):

yi (t) = [A + m(t)] cos ωc t + ni (t) = [A + m(t) + nc (t)] cos ωc t + ns (t) sin ωc t

The signal power

A2 Sm
Si = E[(A + m(t))2 ]E[cos2 (ωc t)] = +
2 2
To find the envelope of yi (t), we rewrite yi (t) in the form
$
yi (t) = [A + m(t) + nc (t)]2 + n2s cos(ωc t + Θi (t)) = Ei (t) cos(ωc t + Θi (t))

We only consider small noise case

A + m(t) >> n(t) → A + m(t) >> nc /ns

Then
Ei (t) ≈ A + m(t) + nc (t)

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The DC component A is blocked by the envelope detector, therefore,

yo (t) = m(t) + nc (t)

Therefore, the signal power So = E[m2 (t)] = Sm . The noise power

σo2 = E[n2c (t)] = E[n2i (t)] = 2N0 B

and
So Sm Sm Si Sm
SN R = 2
= = 2 · = 2 ·γ
σo 2N0 B A + S m N0 B A + Sm
Therefore, when noise is small, the performance of the envelope detector is identical to that
of the synchronous detector.

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