Chapter 2: Amplitude Modulation (AM) Transmission and Reception

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Chapter 2: Amplitude Modulation (AM) Transmission and Reception

2.1 Introduction Information signals are transported between a transmitter and receiver over some form of transmission medium. However, original signals are seldom in a form that is suitable for transmission. Therefore, they must be transformed into a form that is more suitable for transmission. The process of impressing low-frequency information signals onto a highfrequency carrier signal is called modulation. Demodulation is the reverse process where the received signals are transformed back to their original form. In this chapter, the student is first introduced to the fundamental concepts of amplitude modulation (AM) before looking at the practical modulator and demodulator circuits used for AM modulation. 2.2 Principles of AM Amplitude modulation 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 signal) There are 2 inputs to the modulation device (often called modulator): 1. A single, high-frequency RF carrier signal of constant amplitude 2. Low-frequency information signals that maybe a single frequency or a complex waveform made up of many frequencies In the modulator, the information modulates the RF carrier producing a modulated waveform, often called an AM envelope

2.2.1 The AM Envelope There are several types of amplitude modulation and the most commonly used is AM double-sideband full carrier (DSBFC) scheme. It is also called conventional AM. The following figure illustrates the relationship among the carrier, the modulating signal and the modulated signal for conventional AM. Carrier signal = Vc sin[ 2f c t ] Modulating signal = Vm sin[ 2f m t ] Modulated wave = Vam [t ] When a modulating signal is applied to the carrier signal, the amplitude of the output wave varies in accordance with the modulating signal Signal representation:

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Chapter 2: Amplitude Modulation (AM) Transmission and Reception

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Figure 2.1: AM Generation 2.2.2 AM Frequency Spectrum and Bandwidth The output envelope is a complex wave made up of a DC voltage, the carrier frequency, and the sum ( f c + f m ) and difference ( f c f m ) frequencies. These sum and difference frequencies are displaced from carrier frequency by an amount equal to modulating frequency. I.e., an AM signal spectrum contains frequency components spaced f m Hz on either side of the carrier as shown in Figure 2.2:

Figure 2.2: Frequency spectrum of an AM DSBFC wave The AM spectrum ranges from f c f m (max) to f c + f m (max)

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Chapter 2: Amplitude Modulation (AM) Transmission and Reception

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Parameters: Lower sideband (LSB) = band of frequencies between f c f m (max) and f c

Lower side frequency (LSF) = any frequency within LSB Upper sideband (USB) = band of frequencies between f c and f c + f m (max) Upper side frequency (USF) = any frequency within USB Bandwidth = twice the highest modulating signal frequency

= 2 f m (max)
2.2.3 Coefficient of Modulation and Percent Modulation
Coefficient of modulation is a term used to describe the amount of amplitude change present in an AM waveform Percent modulation is the coefficient of modulation stated as a percentage

Mathematical representation:
m= Em Ec E M = m 100 Ec

(2.1) (2.2)

where m = modulation coefficient where usually m 1 M = percent modulation E m = peak change in the amplitude of the output waveform E c = peak amplitude of the unmodulated carrier Graphical representation of the relationship among m, E m and E c :

Figure 2.3: Modulation coefficient, E m and E c

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Chapter 2: Amplitude Modulation (AM) Transmission and Reception Based from Figure 2.3:
1 (Vmax Vmin ) 2 1 E c = (Vmax + Vmin ) 2 (Vmax Vmin ) M = 100 (Vmax + Vmin ) Em = (2.3)

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(2.4) (2.5)

Thus

E m is also defined as the sum of the voltages from upper and lower side frequencies E m = Eusf + Elsf Also, Therefore
Eusf = Elsf =

Eusf = Elsf
E m 1 / 2(Vmax Vmin ) 1 = = (Vmax Vmin ) 2 2 4

(2.6)

2.2.4 AM Voltage Distribution and Analysis From previous section, we know that amplitude of the AM wave varies proportional to the amplitude of the modulating signal and the maximum amplitude of the AM wave is E c + E m . Given an unmodulated carrier and a modulating signal as, vc (t ) = E c sin(2f c t ) v m (t ) = E m sin(2f m t ) The modulated wave can be expressed as: v am (t ) = [ E c + E m sin( 2f m t )][sin(2f c t )] (2.9) (2.7) (2.8)

where E c = peak carrier amplitude f c = carrier frequency, f m = modulating frequency, E m = peak modulating amplitude / peak change in the amplitude of the envelope Substituting Equation (2.1) into Equation (2.9), we get v am (t ) = [ E c + mEc sin(2f m t )][sin(2f c t )] Rearranging Equation (2.10) v am (t ) = [1 + m sin(2f m t )][ E c sin(2f c t )] (2.10) (2.11)

I.e. it can seen that the modulating signal contains a constant component and a sinusoidal component at the modulating signal frequency

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Chapter 2: Amplitude Modulation (AM) Transmission and Reception Next, expanding Equation (2.11) yields v am (t ) = E c sin(2f c t ) + [mEc sin(2f m t )][sin(2f c t )] Using trigonometric function, above equation can be represented as:
v am (t ) = E c sin( 2f c t ) +

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mE c mE c cos[2 ( f c f m )t ] cos[2 ( f c + f m )t ] (2.12) 2 2

Voltage spectrum for representing AM DSBFC wave (Equation (2.12)) :

Figure 2.4: Voltage spectrum for AM DSBFC wave From Equation (2.12), there are few characteristics of AM DSBFC can be deduced: 1. The amplitude of carrier is unaffected by the modulation process 2. The amplitude of USF and LSF depends on both the carrier amplitude and the coefficient of modulation 3. For 100 % modulation (m = 1) and from previous section
V(max) = E c + E m = E c + E usf + Elsf = E c + V(min) = E c E m = E c E usf E lsf = E c Ec Ec + = 2 Ec 2 2 Ec Ec =0 2 2

I.e. the maximum peak amplitude of an AM envelope is V(max) = 2 E c and the

minimum peak amplitude of the envelope is V(min) = 0 .

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Chapter 2: Amplitude Modulation (AM) Transmission and Reception 2.2.5 AM Power Distribution

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The average power dissipated in a load by an unmodulated carrier is equal to the rms carrier voltage divided by the load resistance

Pc =

(0.707 E c ) 2 ( E c ) 2 = R 2R

(2.13)

Besides that, the upper and lower sideband powers, Pusb and Plsb respectively, are given as (mEc / 2) 2 Pusb = Plsb = 2R Rearranging this equation m 2 E c2 (2.14) Pusb = Plsb = 4 2R Substituting Equation (2.13) into Equation (2.14) gives

Pusb = Plsb =

m 2 Pc 4

(2.15)

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. I.e. the total power in an AM DSBFC wave: Pt = Pc + Pusb + Plsb

Pt = Pc +

m 2 Pc 2

(2.16)

Note that the total power in an AM envelope increases with modulation

Figure 2.5: Power spectrum for an AM DSBFC wave

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Chapter 2: Amplitude Modulation (AM) Transmission and Reception 2.2.6 Modulation by a Complex Information Signal

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In previous section, coefficient of modulation, voltage and power distribution for AM DSBFC wave were analyzed for a single frequency modulating signal. In practice, the modulating signal is often a complex waveform made up of many sine waves with different amplitudes and frequencies.

Consider a modulating signal containing two frequencies, f m1 and f m 2 . The modulated wave obtained will contain the carrier and two sets of side frequencies spaced symmetrically about the carrier 1 1 v am (t ) = sin(2f c t ) + cos[2 ( f c f m1 )t ] cos[2 ( f c + f m1 )t ] 2 2 1 1 + cos[2 ( f c f m 2 )t ] cos[2 ( f c + f m 2 )t ] (2.17) 2 2 For coefficient of modulation for a case involving several modulating frequencies:
2 2 2 mt = m12 + m 2 + m3 + .... + m n

(2.18)

Consequently, the combined coefficient of modulation, mt , can be used to determine the total sideband and total transmitted powers
Pusbt = Plsbt = mt Pc P m2 Psbt = c t 4 2 Pc mt2 2
2

(2.19)

Thus Where Pusbt Plsbt Psbt Pt

Pt = Pc +

(2.20)

= total upper sideband power = total lower sideband power = total sideband power = total transmitted power

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