Amplitude Modulation

Ref: Modern Digital and Analog Communication Systems, B. P.

Lathi, 3rd Edition
Modulation: Modulation is a process that causes a shift in the range of frequencies
in a signal.

➢Baseband Communication: In baseband communication, baseband signals are

transmitted without modulation, that is, without any shift in the range of frequencies of
the signal.

➢Carrier Communication: Communication that uses modulation to shift the

frequency spectrum of a signal is known as carrier communication.

•In this mode, one of the basic parameters (amplitude, frequency, or phase) of a
sinusoidal carrier of high frequency is varied in proportion to the baseband signal
m(t). This results in:
⇨ Amplitude Modulation (AM)
⇨ Frequency Modulation (FM) Angle Modulation
⇨ Phase Modulation (PM)

•FM and PM are similar types of modulation and belong to the class of modulation
known as angle modulation.
Amplitude Modulation: Double Sideband (DSB)

➢In amplitude modulation, the amplitude of the carrier is varied in proportion to the
baseband (message) or modulating signal. The frequency and the phase are constant.

Let, the carrier signal:

If the carrier amplitude A is made directly proportional to the modulating signal m(t),
the modulated signal is [assuming ].

➢This type of modulation simply shifts the spectrum of m(t) to the carrier frequency.
Thus if
then

is M(ω) shifted to the right by and is M(ω) shifted to the

left by .
➢If the bandwidth of m(t) is B Hz, then the bandwidth of the modulated signal is 2B
Hz.

➢The modulated signal spectrum is composed of two parts: Upper sideband (USB)
and Lower sideband (LSB).

➢The modulated signal in this scheme does not contain a discrete component of the
carrier frequency . For this reason, it is called double side-band suppressed
carrier (DSB-SC) modulation.
Demodulation:

➢The process of recovering the signal from the modulated signal is referred to as
demodulation, or detection.

➢Demodulation consists of multiplication of the incoming modulated signal

by a carrier followed by a low pass filter.
 In time domain,

Therefore, the Fourier transform of the signal e(t) is

suppressed by low pass filter

➢This method of recovering the baseband signal is called synchronous detection or

coherent detection where we need to generate a local carrier at the receiver in
frequency and phase coherence (synchronism) with the carrier used at the modulator.
Example 4.1: For a baseband signal , find the DSB-SC signal.
And sketch its spectrum. Identify the USB and LSB. Verify that the DSB-SC
modulated signal can be demodulated by the synchronous demodulator.

Solution: This is a case of tone modulation because the modulating signal is a

pure sinusoid, or tone, .

The spectrum of the baseband signal is given by

In time domain, for the baseband signal , the DSB-SC signal

is

For synchronous demodulation, is multiplied by a carrier to

get e(t) followed by a low pass filter.
 Here,

The spectrum of the term is centered at , and will be

suppressed by the low-pass filter, yielding as the output.

Modulators:

Multiplier Modulators:

➢Here modulation is achieved directly by multiplying m(t) by using an

analog multiplier whose output is proportional to the product of two input signals.

➢It is rather difficult to maintain linearity in this kind of amplifier, and they tend
to be rather expensive.
Nonlinear Modulators:

➢Modulation can be achieved by using non linear devices, such as a semiconductor

diode or a transistor.

➢Here, NL= Nonlinear Elements.

Let the input-output characteristics of either of the nonlinear elements be
approximated by a power series:

Where x(t) and y(t) are the input and output, respectively, of the nonlinear element.
The summer output z(t) is given by
 Here,
and

Substituting these two input values into the equation of z(t) yields

➢When z(t) is passed through a bandpass filter tuned to , the signal am(t) is
suppressed and the desired modulated signal passes through unharmed.

➢In this circuit, the carrier signal does not appear at the input of the final bandpass
filter. For this reason, it is called a single balanced modulator.
Switching Modulators:

➢The multiplication operation required for modulation can be replaced by a simpler

switching operation if we realize that a modulated signal can be obtained by
multiplying m(t) not only by a pure sinusoid but by any periodic signal ϕ(t) of the
fundamental radian frequency .

➢Such a periodic signal can be expressed by a trigonometric Fourier series as

Hence,

This shows that the spectrum of the product m(t)ϕ(t) is the spectrum M(ω) shifted to
If this signal is passed through a bandpass filter of
bandwidth 2B Hz and tuned to , then we get the desired modulated signal
.
The square pulse train w(t) in Fig. 4.4(b) is a periodic signal whose Fourier series can
be expressed as

The signal m(t)w(t) is given by

➢Multiplication of a signal by a square pulse train is in reality a switching operation.

➢Electronic switch like Diode-Bridge Modulator can be used to accomplish the

switching operation.

➢The switching action is controlled by .

➢Diodes are matched pairs.
➢To obtain the signal m(t)w(t), the electronic switch can be placed in series or
across (in parallel) m(t).
➢These modulators are known as the series- bridge diode modulator and the shunt-
bridge diode modulator, respectively.
Amplitude Modulation:

➢In DSBSC, a receiver must generate a carrier in frequency and phase synchronism
with the carrier at the transmitter. This calls for a sophisticated receiver and could be
quite costly.

➢In AM, the transmitter transmit a carrier [along with the modulated signal
] so that there is no need to generate a carrier at the receiver.

➢In this case, the transmitter needs to transmit much larger power, which makes it
rather expensive.
In AM (amplitude modulation), the transmitted signal is given by

The spectrum of is the same as that of plus two additional

impulses at .

➢Envelope of the modulated wave: [A+ m(t)]

➢Case 1: A is large enough so that A+ m(t) ≥ 0 (is non-negative) for all values of t.
In this case, A+ m(t) is the envelope of . Envelope detection is
possible in this case.

➢Case 2: A is not large enough so that for all t.

In this case, the envelope is not A+ m(t), but rectified A+ m(t). m(t) cannot
be recovered from the envelope.
Condition for envelope detection of AM signal:

➢Let, be the peak amplitude (positive or negative) of m(t).

This means that .
So, the condition is equivalent to .

Modulation Index: Modulation index µ is defined as

where A is the carrier amplitude.

➢Because and because there is no upper bound on A, it follows that the

required condition for envelope detection is

➢When , (over-modulation). In this case, envelope detection can no

longer detect m(t) successfully. We need to use synchronous demodulation.
Example 4.4:
Sideband and Carrier Power:

In AM, the carrier term does not carry any information, and hence, the carrier power is
wasted.

The carrier power and sideband power are given by:

➢The total power is the sum of the carrier (wasted) power and the sideband (useful)
power.
Hence, the power efficiency,

For the special case of tone modulation,

 Hence,

with the condition that .It can be seen that increases monotonically with ,
and occurs at , for which .

➢Thus, for tone modulation, under best conditions , only one-third of the
transmitted power is used for carrying message.

➢For practical signals, the efficiency is even worse- on the order of 25% or lower-
compared to DSB-SC case.

➢Smaller values of degrade efficiency further.

Example 4.5:
Generation of AM Signals:

Switching Modulator:
➢In switching modulator, the switching action is provided by a single diode.
➢The input is , with , so that the switching action of the
diode is controlled by .
➢The diode opens and shorts periodically with , in effect multiplying the input
signal by w(t).
The voltage across terminals is

The bandpass filter tuned to suppresses all the other terms, yielding the desired
AM signal at the output.
Demodulation of AM Signals:
➢Can be demodulated coherently/synchronously by a locally generated carrier.
➢Two non-coherent methods of AM demodulation: 1) Rectifier Detection
2) Envelope Detection
Rectifier Detection:
➢If an AM signal is applied to a diode and a resistor circuit, the negative part of the
AM wave will be suppressed.
➢The output across the resistor is a half-wave rectified version of the AM signal.
➢In essence, the AM signal is multiplied by w(t).
➢When is applied to a low-pass filter of cutoff B Hz, the output is ,
and all the other terms in of frequencies higher than B Hz are suppressed.

➢The dc term may be blocked by a capacitor to give the desired output .

Envelope Detector:
➢In an envelope detector, the output of the detector follows the envelope of the
modulated signal.
➢During each positive cycle, the capacitor charges up to the peak voltage of the input
signal and then decays slowly until the next positive cycle.
➢The output voltage closely follows the envelope of the input.

➢The condition for reducing the ripple between positive peaks:

➢The condition for the capacitor voltage to follow the envelope:

Where B is the highest frequency in m(t).

➢The envelope detector output is with a ripple of frequency .

➢The dc term A can be blocked out by a capacitor or a simple RC high-pass filter.
The ripple may be reduced further by another RC low pass filter.