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Analog Communications

Unit 4
Lecture Notes 32

Transmission bandwidth of FM waves

An FM wave contains an infinite number of side-frequencies so that the bandwidth

required to transmit such a signal is similarly infinite in extent. In practice, however, we
find that the FM wave is effectively limited to a finite number of significant sidefrequencies compatible with a specified amount of distortion. We may therefore specify
an effective bandwidth required for the transmission of an FM wave. Consider first the
case of an FM wave generated by a single-tone modulating wave of frequency fm. In such
an Fm wave, the side-frequencies that are separated from the carrier frequency fc by an
amount greater than the frequency deviation f decrease rapidly toward zero, as that the
bandwidth always exceeds the total frequency excursion, but nevertheless is limited.
Specifically, for large values of the modulation index , the bandwidth approaches, and is
only slightly greater than the total frequency excursion 2f . On the other hand, for small

values of the modulation index , the spectrum of the FM wave is effectively limited to the
carrier frequency and one pair of side-frequencies at f c f m , so that the bandwidth
approaches 2 f m . We may thus define an approximate rule for the transmission bandwidth
of an FM wave generated by a single-tone modulating wave of frequency f m as

1
B 2f + 2 f m = 2f 1 +

(1)

This relation is known as Carsons rule.

Table shows the total number of significant side-frequencies (including both the upper
and lower side-frequencies) for different values of , calculated on the 1% basis just
explained. The transmission bandwidth B calculated using this procedure can be
presented in the form of a universal curve by normalizing it with respect to the frequency
deviation f , and then plotting it versus . This curve is shown in Fig.1 , which is drawn
as a best fit through the set of points obtained by using Table 1 in Fig.1 we note that as
T. Kalpana,ECE,GMRIT

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Analog Communications

Unit 4
Lecture Notes 32

the modulation index is increased, the bandwidth occupied by the significant sidefrequencies drops toward that over which the carrier frequency actually deviates. This
means that small values of the modulation index are relatively more extravagant in
transmission bandwidth than are the larger values of .

Table-1

T. Kalpana,ECE,GMRIT

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Analog Communications

Unit 4
Lecture Notes 32

Fig.1Universal curves for evalvting the 99% bandwidth of an FM wave

T. Kalpana,ECE,GMRIT

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