Amplitude Modulation

Amplitude Modulation - process of changing the amplitude of carrier frequency in

proportion with the instantaneous value of the modulating signal (information)

Two inputs:
1. modulating signal
2. carrier signal

AM envelope modulated output waveform from an AM modulator

AM DSBFC AM Double Sideband Full Carrier
- most commonly used
- also known as conventional AM





AM Frequency Spectrum and Bandwidth

3 outputs:
1. DC voltage
2. carrier frequency
3. sum and difference frequencies or cross products

m c
f f + upper sideband
and
m c
f f lower sideband

Bandwidth,
(max)
2
m
f B =



Coefficient of Modulation and Percent Modulation

Coefficient Modulation describe the amount of amplitude change (modulation)
present in an AM waveform
Percent Modulation coefficient of modulation stated as a percentage
- percentage change in the amplitude of the output wave when
the carrier is acted on by a modulating signal

c
m
E
E
m = where m modulation coefficient (unitless)
m
E - peak change in the amplitude of the
output waveform voltage (volts)
c
E - peak amplitude of the unmodulated
carrier voltage (volts)


c m
mE E = and
m
E
E
m
c
=

And Percentage Modulation (M)

100 x
E
E
M
c
m
= or 100 mx M =




( )
min max
2
1
V V E
m
=
( )
min max
2
1
V V E
c
+ =

Therefore

( )
( )
( )
100
100
2
1
2
1
min max
min max
min max
min max
x
V V
V V
M
x
V V
V V
M
+

=
+

=


where
m c
E E V + =
max
and
m c
E E V =
min

Since

lsf usf m
E E E + = and
lsf usf
E E =
Then

( )
( )
min max
min max
4
1
2
2
1
2
V V
V V
E
E E
m
lsf usf
=

= = =
Where

usf
E - peak amplitude of the upper side frequency (volts)

lsf
E - peak amplitude of the lower side frequency (volts)



For a 100% modulation ,
c m
E E = and 0
min
= V V

Example:
For the AM waveform shown, determine
a. the 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




Solution:
a. ( ) V E E
lsf usf
4 2 18
4
1
= = =
b. ( ) V E
c
10 2 18
2
1
= + =
c. ( ) V E
m
8 2 18
2
1
= =
d. 8 . 0
10
8
= = m
e. % 80 100 8 . 0 = = x M or % 80 100
2 18
2 18
=
+

= x M

AM Voltage Distribution

( ) ( ) t f E t v
c c c
2 sin =

where ( ) t v
c
time varying voltage waveform for the carrier

c
E peak carrier amplitude (volts)

c
f carrier frequency (hertz)

The instantaneous amplitude of the modulated wave is

( ) ( ) [ ] ( ) [ ] t f t f E E t v
c m m c am
2 sin 2 sin + =

Where
( ) [ ] t f E E
m m c
2 sin + amplitude of the modulated wave

Substitute
c
mE to
m
E
( ) ( ) [ ] ( ) [ ] t f t f mE E t v
c m c c am
2 sin 2 sin + =

Where
( ) [ ] t f mE E
m c c
2 sin + amplitude of the modulated wave


( ) ( ) [ ] ( ) [ ] t f E t f m t v
c c m am
2 sin 2 sin 1+ =
Where
( ) [ ] = + t f m
m
2 sin 1 constant + modulating signal
( ) [ ] t f E
c c
2 sin = unmodulated carrier

From ( ) ( ) [ ] ( ) [ ] t f E t f m t v
c c m am
2 sin 2 sin 1+ =
( ) ( ) ( ) [ ] ( ) [ ] t f t f mE t f E t v
c m c c c am
2 sin 2 sin 2 sin + =
Therefore

( ) ( ) ( ) [ ] ( ) [ ] t f f
mE
t f f
mE
t f E t v
m c
c
m c
c
c c am
+ + = 2 cos
2
2 cos
2
2 sin

Where
( ) t f E
c c
2 sin = carrier signal (volts)
( ) ( ) [ ] t f f mE
m c c
+ 2 cos 2 / = upper side frequency signal (volts)
( ) ( ) [ ] t f f mE
m c c
+ 2 cos 2 / =lower side frequency signal (volts)

For a 100% modulation , m = 1


( ) c
c c
c
E
E E
E V 2
2 2
max
= + + =

And
( )
V
E E
E V
c c
c
0
2 2
min
= =





AM Time Domain Analysis

Suppose
Carrier ( ) ( ) t E t v
c c
25 2 sin =
Modulating signal ( ) ( ) t E t v
m m
5 2 sin =
Modulated signal ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) t
E
m t
E
m t E t v
c c
c am
20 2 cos
2
30 2 cos
2
5 2 sin + =
Where
( ) t E
c
25 2 sin carrier (volts)
( ) t
E
m
c
30 2 cos
2
|

\
|
upper side frequency (volts)
( ) t
E
m
c
20 2 cos
2
|

\
|
+ lower side frequency (volts)

AM Power Distribution

We know that
R
V
P
2
= and
R
V
power ave
rms
2
. =
Power of unmodulated carrier

( )
R
E
R
E
P
c c
c
2
707 . 0
2 2
= = where
c
P carrier power

c
E peak carrier voltage
R load resistance


R
E
m
P P
c
lsb usb
2
2
2
|

\
|
= = where
2
c
mE
peak voltage of the upper
And lower side frequency

4 2 4 8
2 2 2 2 2
c c c
lsb usb
P m
R
E m
R
E m
P P =
(

= = =

t
P total power

2 4 4
2 2 2
c
c
c c
c lsb usb c t
P m
P
P m P m
P P P P P + = + + = + + =
Where
2
2
c
P m

sideband
P

(

+ =
2
1
2
m
P P
c t



Most power is in the carrier

sideband c
P P 2 =
increase m so that power of sidebands will also increase

AM Current Calculation


2
1
2
2
2
2
2
m
I
I
R I
R I
P
P
c
t
c
t
c
t
+ = = = where
t
P total transmit power

c
P carrier power

t
I total transmit current

c
I carrier current
R antenna resistance


2
1
2
m
I
I
c
t
+ = and
2
1
2
m
I I
c t
+ =

Modulation by a Complex Information Signal

If modulating signal is composed of 2 frequencies ( ( )
11
m
f and ( )
2
m
f
( ) ( ) ( ) [ ] ( ) [ ]
( ) [ ] ( ) [ ] t f f t f f
t f f t f f t f t v
m c m c
m c m c c am
2 2
1 1
2 cos
2
1
2 cos
2
1

2 cos
2
1
2 cos
2
1
2 sin
+ +
+ + =





2 2
3
2
2
2
1
...
n t
m m m m m + + + + =


4
2
t c
lsbt usbt
m P
P P = = and for the whole sideband
2
2
t c
sbt
m P
P =

|
|

\
|
+ =
2
1
2
t
c t
m
P P

AM Modulating Circuits

3 Kinds:

1. Low level Transmitter modulation takes place before the output element of
the final stage of the transmitter
Modulation occurs prior to:
- collector of transistorized tx
- drain of the output of the FET in a FET tx
- plate of the output in Vacuum Tube

Advantage less modulating signal power is required to achieve a high
percentage of modulation



- known as emitter modulation because the carrier is applied to
the base and the modulating signal to the emitter


Voltage gain

( ) [ ] t f m A A
m q v
2 sin 1+ =
where
v
A - amplifier voltage gain with modulation (unitless)

q
A - amplifier quiescent (without modulation) voltage gain
(unitless)

( ) t f
m
2 sin goes from +1 to -1:
( ) m A A
q v
= 1 where m modulation coef.

At m = 1, 100% modulation


( ) q v
A A 2
max
= and 0
(min)
=
v
A


Electronic components present:
a. T1 isolation transformer
Output applied to emitter of Q1
b. Q1 act as amplifier class A transistor
c. C2 coupling capacitor
Removes modulating signal frequency from AM waveform

2. Medium Power AM Modulator

- Modulation takes place in the collector
- Also called a collector modulator






Electronic components present:
a. C
1
& L
1
tank circuit
b. C
3
bypass capacitor
o Prevents information from entering the dc power supply
c. C
bc
base to collector junction capacitance of Q1
o Q1 can oscillate because of this
d. C
N
neutralizing capacitor
o Neutralize the interelectrode capacitance feedback of

C
bc

e. C
4
RF bypass capacitor
o Isolate the dc power supply from radio frequencies

3. Simultaneous Base & Collector Modulation
- Can achieve symmetrical modulation, operate at maximum efficiency ,
develop a high output power and require as little modulating
signal drive power as possible






Linear Integrated Circuit AM Modulators

- Has excellent frequency stability, symmetrical modulation
characteristics, circuit miniaturization, fewer components,
temperature immunity, and simplicity of design and
troubleshooting
- An example: XR-2206 monolithic function generator which
has 4 functional blocks:
o Voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO)
Source of the frequency of the carrier, f
c


Hz
C R
f
c
1 1
1
=
o Analog amplifier and sineshaper
o Unity-gain buffer
o Set of current switches



Example:



For an XR-2206 LIC modulator with a power supply voltage V
+
= 12 Vdc, a modulating
signal amplitude V
m
= 2 V
p
, a modulating signal frequency f
m
= 4 kHz, a dc bias V
bias
=
+4 V dc, timing R
1
= 10 kohm, and timing capacitor C
1
= 0.001 F, determine

a. Carrier frequency
b. Upper and lower side frequencies
c. Sketch the output waveform
d. From the output waveform, determine the coefficient of modulation and
percent modulation

AM Transmitters

1. Low-level transmitters
Used for low-power, low-capacity systems, such as wireless
intercoms, remote-control units, pagers, and short-range walkie-
talkies.



- A preamplifier (class A linear voltage amplifier) is applied
before the modulating signal driver
- RF carrier oscillator usually crystal controlled oscillators
- Buffer amplifier low-gain, high-input impedance linear
amplifier that isolate the oscillator from the high-power
amplifiers and reduce the occurrence and magnitude of short-
term frequency variations

2. High-Level Transmitters




- A carrier power amplifier and modulating signal amplifiers are
applied before the AM modulator

Trapezoidal patterns
- Used for observing the modulation characteristics of AM transmitters such
as coefficient of modulation and modulation symmetry
- Uses the CRT of a standard oscilloscope where the modulating signal input
is applied to the horizontal input and the AM signal input is applied to the
vertical input with the internal horizontal sweep disabled










AM envelopes produced by Complex Nonsinusoidal signals



Quadrature Amplitude Modulation
- Form of AM where signals from two separate information
sources (i.e. two channels) modulate the same carrier frequency
at the same time without interfering with each others





Single Sideband Communications
- to solve wastage of power, carrier is suppressed since it does not contain
information anyway

For a double sideband suppressed carrier (DSB or DSSC)


can be generated by using a Balanced Modulator - produced the sum and difference
frequencies
saved power and can be used for the sidebands for stronger signal over long distances
both sidebands have the same information it contained, one can also be suppressed SSB
or SSSC
f
c
f
m
and f
c
+ f
m


4 benefits of SSB:
1. spectrum space is conserved, more signals to be transmitted, less interference between
signals








2. all power can be put into the sideband stronger signal
3. less noise on the signal the narrower the bandwidth, the lesser is the noise
4. experience less fading

sometimes reflected LSB and carrier
if it reached the antenna will cancel out
with the USB signal, thus fading occurs
if USB is only sent, less fading will occur

if no modulating signal is sent, no signals are present such as voice pause




in SSB, transmitter output is Peak Envelope Power (PEP)


R
V
P
2
= where R antenna characteristic impedance
V rms value
Can be used by
another signal
Carrier
USB
LSB
Ex. assume a voice signal has

V = 120 V so V
rms
value = 0.707(V/2) = 0.707(120/2) = 42.42
R = 50


( )
W
R
V
PEP
rms
36
50
42 . 42
2 2
= = = dc input power of the transmitter final amplifier stage
at the instant of the voice envelope peak

can also be solved by:
PEP=V
s
I
max
where V
s
amplifier supply voltage
I
max
current peak

Ex. a 300-V supply with a peak current of 0.6A has
PEP = 300(0.60) = 180W

Average power:
P
ave
= PEP/3 or P
ave
= PEP/4 during normal speech level

For a PEP = 180W, P
ave
= 180/3 = 60W or P
ave
= 180/4 = 45W

typically, SSB only handles average power

Usage:
DSB SSB
FM
TV broadcasting
Some types of PSK
Telephone systems
Two-way radio
marine applications
military applications

in TV, video broadcasting uses a partial suppression of carrier and suppressed sideband
f = 4.2 MHz used to save bandwidth
Vestigial sideband signal


vestigial sideband transmission of a TV picture signal



FREQUENCY CONVERSION
Mixer - converts frequency
- heterodyning function











Output frequencies: f
s
, f
0
, f
o
+f
s
, f
0
-f
s
or f
s
-f
0



f
0

f
s

f
0

f
0
+f
s

f
0
-f
s

osc
f
s

X
Tuned circuit
or filter
(to select
desired
frequency)