Chapter 2: AM, FM systems

„ Wave propagation
„ AM system
‰ AM concepts

‰ AM systems

„ FM system
‰ FM concepts

‰ FM systems
References

„ Telecommunication Circuit Design, Patrick D.

van der Puije, 2002, ebook
„ Wikipedia
Wave propagation

„ Frequency distribution:
‰ VLF, LF, MF, HF, VHF, UHF, SHF, EHF, mm, infra
red, visible light, ultra violet
‰ L, S, C, X, Ku, Ka…
„ Atmosphere structure
‰ Layer: troposphere, stratosphere, ionosphere
„ Wave propagation:
‰ Ground wave, sky wave, line of sigh
AM

„ Concepts
‰ Formula, depth of modulation, wave shape, frequency
range
„ Classification
„ Block diagram
„ Applications:
‰ AM data transmission, AM broadcast
AM formula
„ AM:form of modulation which represents
information as variations in the instantaneous
strength of a carrier wave.
„ Instantaneous carrier current be
where A is the amplitude.
„ The amplitude modulated carrier be
where
is the modulating signal.
„ The waveform is shown in next page
„ The current then be expressed as
where k = B/A
„ Then:
AM – wave shape

Amplitude modulated wave: the carrier frequency remains sinusoidal at ωc

while the envelope varies at frequency ωs.
AM - spectrum

Frequency spectrum of the AM wave

AM - spectrum

Frequency spectrum of the AM wave when the single

frequency modulating signal is replaced by a band of
audio frequencies.
AM – frequency band

„ The allocation of AM radio broadcast is governed by the ITU's

Radio Regulations and, on the national level, by each country's
telecommunications administration.
„ Long wave is 153–279 kHz; historically frequencies as high as
413 kHz were used but currently there are no terrestrial LW
broadcasters above 279 kHz.
„ Medium wave is 520–1,610 kHz. In the Americas (ITU region
2) 10 kHz spacing is used; elsewhere it is 9 kHz.
„ Short wave is 2,300–26,100 kHz, divided into 15 broadcast
bands. Shortwave broadcasts generally use a narrow 5 kHz
channel spacing.
„ Other frequencies
AM – classification

„ double side band amplitude modulation (DSB-

AM).
„ double-sideband reduced carrier (DSBRC)
„ double-sideband suppressed carrier (DSBSC)
„ single side band with compressed carrier
„ single side band
Transmitters
Block diagram of transmitter
Receivers
„ Crystal radio set: the simplest system, uses no power supply
„ Tuned radio frequency or TRF: all tuned radio frequency
stages simultaneously tuned to the received frequency before
detection and subsequent amplification of the audio signal.
„ Super-regenerative receiver radio: basically an oscillating
detector receiver.
„ Superhetrodyne radio receiver: the receiver has a local
oscillator called a variable frequency oscillator or V.F.O.
which maintains a constant difference between itself and the
received frequency resulting in a constant intermediate
frequency.
Crystal radio receiver

„ Uses no power other than that provided by the

transmitting antenna from the radio station.
„ Long antenna
„ Need amplifier if you want to use loudspeaker
Tuned radio frequency
„ The T.R.F. (tuned radio frequency)
receiver: all r.f. stages
simultaneously tuned to the
received frequency before detection
and subsequent amplification of the
audio signal.
„ The principle disadvantages:
‰ All r.f. stages had to track one
another =>difficult to achieve
technically
‰ The received bandwidth increases
with frequency. Example - if the
circuit design Q was 55 at 550 Khz,
received bandwidth =550/55=10
Khz. However at 1650 Khz, the
received bandwidth was 1650/55=
30 Khz.
Super-regenerative receiver
„ Are basically oscillating detector receivers.
„ They are simple detectors which may be used for cw or ssb when
adjusted for oscillation or a-m phone when set just below point of
oscillation. In contrast direct conversion receivers use a separate
hetrodyne oscillator to produce a signal.
„ A regenerative radio receiver is unsurpassed in comparable
simplicity, weak signal reception, inherent noise-limiting and agc
action and, freedom from overloading and spurious responses.
Superhetrodyne radio receiver

„
FM

„ Concepts
‰ Formula, depth of modulation, wave shape, frequency
range
„ Classification
„ Block diagram
„ Applications:
‰ FM data transmission, FM broadcast
FM formula
„ FM: form of modulation which represents information
as variations in the instantaneous frequency of a carrier
wave.
„ Suppose the signal to be transmitted is
and is restricted in amplitude to be
„ The sinusoidal carrier is
where fc is the carrier's base frequency in hertz and A is
an arbitrary amplitude.
„ Carrier will be modulated by the signal as in

„ where f(t) = fc + f∆xm(t).

„ In this equation, f(t) is the instantaneous frequency of
the oscillator and f∆ is the frequency deviation
FM – wave shape

Frequency modulated wave: the carrier frequency varies as the signal varies.
FM - spectrum

Frequency spectrum of the

stereophonic FM system
FM – frequency band

„ One can transmit FM on any frequency.

„ "the FM band" is usually understood to refer to FM sound
broadcast Band II.
„ Broadcast bands around the world
‰ Throughout the world, broadcast band is 87.5 to 108.0 MHz,
or some portion thereof.
‰ In the U.S. it is 87.9 to 107.9 MHz.

‰ Japan is the only exception, 76 to 90 MHz band

‰ In the former Soviet republics, and some Eastern Bloc nations,

an additional older band from 65.9 to 74 MHz is also used.
Block diagram of transmitter
Block diagram of Amstrong transmitter
Block diagram of stereophonic receiver
Applications
„ Commonly used at VHF radio frequencies for high-fidelity
broadcasts of music and speech (FM broadcasting).
„ Analog TV sound is broadcast using FM.
„ A narrowband form is used for voice communications in
commercial and amateur radio settings.
„ In two-way radio, narrowband narrow-fm (N-FM) is used to
conserve bandwidth.
„ FM is also used at intermediate frequencies by most analog
VCR systems, including VHS
„ FM is also used at audio frequencies to synthesize sound. This
technique, known as FM synthesis, was a standard feature for
several generations of personal computer sound cards.