Communication Laboratory
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE)
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)
EEE 310: Communication Laboratory
EXPERIMENT NO: 2
FREQUENCY MODULATION BY VARACTOR MODULATOR AND
FREQUENCY DEMODULATION BY FOSTER-SEELEY
DETECTOR
Objective:
1) Demonstration of frequency modulation by Varactor modulator.
2) Demonstration of frequency demodulation by Foster-Seeley detector and effect of noise
on its performance.
Equipment:
1) Anacom-2 module.
2) Power supply
3) Oscilloscope
4) Frequency meter
Procedure:
Part A: Frequency modulation by Varactor modulator:
1) Connect the Anacom-2 module to the appropriate power supply.
2) Ensure that the following initial conditions exists on the Anacom-2 module:
a) All switched faults OFF.
b) AMPLITUDE preset (in the MIXER/AMPLIFIER block) in fully clockwise position.
c) VCO switch (in PLL block) in OFF position.
3) Turn on power to the ANACOM2 module.
4) Turn the AMPLITUDE PRESET (in the AUDIO OSCILATOR block) in fully clockwise
(Max.) position and observe its output (at t.p 1) on oscilloscope. This is the modulating
signal whose frequency (300 Hz to 3400 Hz) and amplitude can be varied by
FREQUENCY PRESET and AMPLITUDE PRESET on the block.
Leave the AMPLITUDE PRESET in fully counter clockwise (Min.) position for the time
being.
5) Link the AUDIO OSCILLATOR output to the AUDIO INPUT of the MODULATOR
CIRCUIT as shown in Fig. 3 and put the VARACTOR/VARACTOR switch in the
VARACTOR position.
6) As like AUDIO block the amplitude of the FM carrier can be adjusted by the
AMPLITUDE preset on the MIXER/AMPLIFIER block and the frequency (451 kHz to
458 kHz) can be varied by the CARRIER FREQUENCY preset on the VARACTOR
MODULATOR block.
In the VARACTOR MODULATOR block put the CARRIER FREQUENCY preset in its
midway position and AMPLITUDE preset in fully clockwise position. Monitor the signal
at t.p.34. It is the unmodulated carriers as the amplitude of the modulating signal is zero.
7) Turn the CARRIER FREQUENCY preset to its fully counter clockwise position-this
corresponds to minimum base bias voltage. Monitor signal at t.p.34 (Oscillator output)
and at t.p.21 (base bias voltage).
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Communication Laboratory
Now slowly turn the CARRIER FREQUENCY preset clockwise and record the oscillator
frequency (with a frequency meter at t.p.34) for each 0.1 Volts intervals of the base
voltage.
Plot the oscillator frequency Vs base bias voltage as shown in Fig.1.
8) If it is possible to change the base bias voltage with sinusoidal modulating signal a
sinusoidal change in oscillator frequency can be obtained. Thus frequency modulation is
performed with a VARACTOR modulator.
Fig.1
OSCILLATOR
FREQUENCY
BASE BIAS
VOLTAGE
PRESET FULLY PRESET FULLY
CCW CW
9) Now keeping the CARRIER FREQUENCY preset in fully CCW position observe the
FM output at t.p.34. Now turn AMPLITUDE preset (in AUDIO OSCILLATOR
block) to its fully clockwise position and note what
happens to the FM output.
Decrease amplitude of the modulating signal by turning AMPLITUDE preset (in
AUDIO OSCILLATOR block) slowly CCW and observe the frequency deviation in
the FM output.
10) Return the AMPLITUDE preset (in AUDIO OSCILLATOR block) to its fully CW
position. Vary the frequency of the modulating signal by adjusting the FREQUENCY
preset (in AUDIO OSCILLATOR block) and observe whether the FM output pattern
changes or not.
The change in AUDIO OSCILLATOR frequency does not effect the amount of frequency
deviation-it actually determines how many times per second the carrier deviates from its
center position. But Oscilloscope can not show the rate of change of frequency deviation
and for this reason it appears that the AUDIO OSCILLATOR frequency have no effect.
Now turn the CARRIER FREQUENCY preset slowly CW and observes the frequency
deviation.
Part B: Frequency demodulation by Foster-Seeley detector:
1) Connect a signal generator having a sinusoidal output of amplitude 1V(p-p) and
frequency 400 kHz to the INPUT socket of FOSTER-SEELEY DETECTOR block.
2) Now vary the frequency of the signal generator from about 430 kHz to 480kHz in 5 kHz
steps and record the DC voltage at t.p.52 with the help of a multimeter for each step. Now
plot the DC level against frequency. The curve should look like as shown in Fig.2:
3) Now disconnect the signal generator.
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Communication Laboratory
Adjust CARRIER FREQUENCY preset (in the VARACTOR MODULATOR block) to
have carrier frequency of 450 kHz. Now modulate this carrier with a signal from the
AUDIO OSCILLATOR and apply this modulated signal to the input of the FOSTER-
SEELEY block as shown in Fig.3.
4) Now monitor the output of FOSTER-SEELEY block (at t.p.52) along with input audio
signal (at t.p.14) at dual mode and compare the two signals. The signal should contain
two components:
a) A sine wave at the same frequency as the audio signal at t.p.14.
b) A high frequency ripple component of small amplitude.
OUTPUT
VOLTAGE Fig.2
FREQUENCY
450 kHz
UNMODULATED
CARRIER
FREQUENCY
5) To remove the high frequency ripple apply the signal at t.p.52 to the LOW PASS
FILTER/AMPLIFIER block. Now observe the signal at the output of the LOW PASS
FILTER at t.p.73.
6) We will now investigate the effect of noise on the system. For this put the AMPLITUDE
preset in its MAX position and the FREQUENCY preset in its MIN position in the
AUDIO OSCILLATOR block. Adjust the signal generator for a sinusoidal output of
amplitude 100 mV (p-p), and frequency 2kHz, which will be used as noise input.
Connect this signal to the NOISE INPUT socket in ANACOM2’s MODULATOR
CIRCUIT block and monitor the noise input (at t.p.5) and the FM output (at t.p.34). The
FM signal will be amplitude modulated by the ‘noise’ input in addition to be frequency
modulated by the audio input.
7) Monitor the audio modulating signal (at t.p.14) and the output of the LOW PASS
FILTER block (at t.p.73). A considerable amount of ‘ripple’ may be seen (at t.p.73) at the
frequency of the ‘noise’ input. This is because the FOSTER-SEELEY DETECTOR is
sensitive to amplitude variations in the incoming FM signal.
8) To reduce the amplitude variation connect the AMPLITUDE LIMITER as shown in Fig.4
and observe the signal at AMPLITUDE LIMITER output (at t.p.68) and at LOW PASS
FILTER output (at t.p.73).
Compare the final output with and without AMPLITUDE LIMITER.
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Communication Laboratory
Report:
1) Describe the principle of operation of the VARACTOR MODULATOR and the
FOSTER-SEELEY DETECTOR.
2) Show all the observations with necessary wave shapes in your report and describe them.
ANACOM2
FM COMMUNICATION TRAINER -12V +0V +12V
SWITCHED
AUDIO OSCILLATOR DERECTOR CIRCUIT
FAULTS
DETUNED QUADRATURE
RESONANT DETECTOR
CIRCUIT
REACTANCE FOSTER- PHASE
MODULATOR SEELEY LOCKED
MIXER/ DETECTOR LOOP
AMPLIFIER DETECTOR
VARACTOR
MODULATOR
AMPLITUDE LOW PASS
LIMITER FILTER
Fig.3
ANACOM2
FM COMMUNICATION TRAINER -12V +0V +12V
SWITCHED
AUDIO OSCILLATOR
FAULTS DERECTOR CIRCUIT
DETUNED QUADRATURE
RESONANT DETECTOR
CIRCUIT
REACTANCE FOSTER- PHASE
MODULATOR SEELEY LOCKED
MIXER/ DETECTOR LOOP
AMPLIFIER DETECTOR
VARACTOR
MODULATOR
AMPLITUDE LOW PASS
LIMITER FILTER
Fig.4
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