RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY

Boni, Avenue, City of Mandaluyong

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATIONS

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

FREQUENCY MODULATION
EXPERIMENT TITLE

Experiment Number 7

Name : LIM, SHERYL M. Room/Building : E403

Course/Year :BS ECE/ 2nd Year Date Performed : 5/11/2023
Subject :COM01LAB Date Submitted : 5/12/2023
Day/Time :MH/9:00-10:30AM Instructor: RICARDO MARTINEZ

Status Check Evaluation Criteria Poor Fair Good Excel ent

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 Frequency modulation

Preliminary discussion
A disadvantage of the AM, DSBSC and SSB communication systems is that they are susceptible
to picking up electrical noise in the transmission medium (the channel). This is because noise
changes the amplitude of the transmitted signal and the demodulators of these systems are
affected by amplitude variations.

As its name implies, frequency modulation (FM) uses a message’s amplitude to vary the
frequency of a carrier instead of its amplitude. This means that the FM demodulator is
designed to look for changes in frequency instead. As such, it is less affected by amplitude
variations and so FM is less susceptible to noise. This makes FM a better communications
system in this regard.

There are several methods of generating FM signals but they all basically involve an oscillator
with an electrically adjustable frequency. The oscillator uses an input voltage to affect the
frequency of its output. Typically, when the input is 0V, the oscillator outputs a signal at its
rest frequency (also commonly called the free-running or centre frequency). If the applied
voltage varies above or below 0V, the oscillator’s output frequency deviates above and below
the rest frequency. Moreover, the amount of deviation is affected by the amplitude of the
input voltage. That is, the bigger the input voltage, the greater the deviation.

Figure 1 below shows a simple message signal (a bipolar squarewave) and an unmodulated carrier.
It also shows the result of frequency modulating the carrier with the message.

Figure 1

There are a few things to notice about the FM signal. First, its envelopes are flat – recall that
FM doesn’t vary the carrier’s amplitude. Second, its period (and hence its frequency) changes
when the amplitude of the message changes. Third, as the message alternates above and below
0V, the signal’s frequency goes above and below the carrier’s frequency. (Note: It’s equally
possible to design an FM modulator to cause the frequency to change in the opposite direction to
the change in the message’s polarity.)

Before discussing FM any further, an important point must be made here. A squarewave
message has been used in this discussion to help you visualise how an FM carrier responds to its
message. In so doing, Figure 1 suggests that the resulting FM signal consists of only two
sinewaves (one at a frequency above the carrier and one below). However, this isn’t the case.
For reasons best left to your instructor to explain, the spectral composition of the FM signal in
Figure 1 is much more complex than implied.

This highlights one of the important differences between FM and the modulation schemes
discussed earlier. The mathematical model of an FM signal predicts that even for a simple
sinusoidal message, the result is a signal that potentially contains many sinewaves. In contrast,
for the same sinusoidal message, an AM signal would consist of three sinewaves, a DSBSC signal
would consist of two and an SSBSC signal would consist of only one. This doesn’t automatically
mean that the bandwidth of FM signals is wider than AM, DSBSC and SSBSC signals (for the
same message signal). However, in the practical implementation of FM communications, it usually
is.

Finally, when reading about the operation of an FM modulator you may have recognised that
there is a module on the Emona Telecoms-Trainer 101 that operates in the same way - the VCO
module. In fact a voltage-controlled oscillator is sometimes used for FM modulation (though
there are other methods with advantages over the VCO).

The experiment
In this experiment you’ll generate a real FM signal using the VCO module on the Emona
Telecoms-Trainer 101. First you’ll set up the VCO module to output an unmodulated carrier at
a known frequency. Then you’ll observe the effect of frequency modulating its output with a
squarewave then speech. You’ll also use the speech signal to demonstrate the effect that a
message’s amplitude has on an FM modulator. Finally, you’ll use a sinewave to observe the spectral
composition of an FM signal (in the time domain).

It should take you about 45 minutes to complete this experiment.

Equipment

 Emona Telecoms-Trainer 101 (plus power-pack)

 Dual channel 20MHz oscilloscope

 two Emona Telecoms-Trainer 101 oscilloscope leads

 assorted Emona Telecoms-Trainer 101 patch leads
Procedure

Part A – Frequency modulating a squarewave

1. Gather a set of the equipment listed on the previous page.

2. Set up the scope per the instructions in Experiment 1. Ensure that:

 the Trigger Source control is set to the CH1 (or INT) position.
 the Mode control is set to the CH1 position.

3. Locate the VCO module and turn its Gain control to about two thirds of its travel (about
the position of the number 2 on a clock face).

4. Set the VCO module’s Frequency Adjust control to about the middle of its travel.

5. Set the VCO module’s Range control to the LO position.

6. Connect the set-up shown in Figure 2 below.

Note: Insert the oscilloscope lead’s black plug into a ground (GND) socket.

Figure 2

7. Set the scope’s Timebase control to the 20µs/div position.

8. Adjust the VCO module’s Frequency Adjust control so that one cycle of its output is
exactly 5 divisions.
1
Note: This sets the VCO module’s rest frequency to 10kHz (proof:  10,000)
5  20

9. Set the scope’s Timebase control to the 0.1ms/div position.

Note: This will show about ten cycles of the VCO module’s SINE output.

10. Modify the set-up as shown in Figure 3 below.

 Note: Notice that the scope’s connection to the VCO module’s output has changed.

Figure 3

The set-up in Figure 3 can be represented by the block diagram in Figure 4 below. The Master
Signals module is used to provide a 2kHz squarewave message signal and the VCO module is
the FM modulator with a 10kHz carrier.

Figure 4

11. Set the scope’s Mode control to the DUAL position.

12. If necessary, tweak the VCO module’s Gain control until you obtain an output from the
VCO that’s similar to the FM signal in Figure 1 (in the preliminary discussion).

13. Use the scope’s Channel 1 Vertical Position control to overlay the message with the FM
signal and compare them.

Question 1
Why does the frequency of the carrier change?

-In frequency modulation, the carrier amplitude remains constant. Consequently, the carrier
frequency varies according to the modulating signal. The greater the amplitude of the
information signal, the greater the change in frequency.
Part B – Generating an FM signal using speech
So far, this experiment has generated an FM signal using a squarewave for the message.
However, the message in commercial communications systems is much more likely to be speech
and music. The next part of the experiment lets you see what an FM signal looks like when
modulated by speech.

14. Disconnect the plugs to the Master Signals module’s 2kHz DIGITAL output.

15. Connect them to the Speech module’s output as shown in Figure 5 below.

Remember: Dotted lines show leads already in place.

Figure 5

16. Set the scope’s Trigger Source control to the CH2 position.

17. Talk, sing or hum while watching the scope’s display.

18. Set the scope’s Timebase control to about the 20µs/div position.

19. Quietly hum into the Speech module’s microphone while watching the scope’s display.

20. Slowly make your hum louder and louder without changing its pitch.

Question 2
What is the relationship between the FM signal’s frequency deviation (that is, the VCO
module’s output) and the amplitude of the message?

-The change in frequency of the carrier signal in FM modulation is proportional to the

amplitude of the message signal. This means that as the amplitude of the message signal
increases, the frequency deviation of the carrier signal also increases.
 Question 3
What is the relationship between the FM signal’s frequency deviation and the frequency
of the message? Tip: This relationship may not be observable with the present set-up.
- There is a direct connection between the frequency variation of the FM signal and the
frequency of the message signal. This means that, as the amplitude of the message signal
increases, the frequency deviation of the FM signal also increases.

Part C – Considering the spectral composition of FM signals

Regardless of the type of message signal used the spectral composition of FM signals is rich in
sinewaves. The next part of this experiment demonstrates this.

21. Set the scope’s Mode control to the CH2 position so that you’re only looking at the FM
signal.

22. Disconnect the VCO module’s input from the Speech module’s output.

23. Modify the set-up as shown in Figure 6 below.

Figure 6

You should now see a display that looks similar to Figure 7 below.

Figure 7
24. If you don’t have a display similar to Figure 7, slowly turn the VCO module’s Gain control
anti-clockwise until you do.

When viewed this way you can clearly see the highest frequency sinewave that the FM modulator
is outputting, the lowest frequency sinewave and many of the sinewaves in between.

25. Connect the VCO module’s input to the Master Signals module’s 2kHz DIGITAL output
instead of the 2kHz SINE output.

26. Note the spectral composition of the FM signal.

27. Connect the VCO module’s input to the Speech module’s output instead of the Master
Signals module’s 2kHz DIGITAL output.

28. Note the spectral composition of the FM signal.

Notice that the spectral composition of the FM signal is complex regardless of the message’s
waveshape.

OBSERVATION:

Based on the conducted experiment, as the amplitude of the message signal

increases, the frequency deviation of the FM signal also increases. This relationship
is due to the direct proportionality between the frequency variation and the loudness
of the message signal. When a high-amplitude message signal is applied to the FM
modulator, it leads to a significant frequency deviation, causing the carrier frequency
to shift by a larger magnitude.

CONCLUSION:

From this experiment, it can be concluded that the frequency variation in FM

modulation is directly correlated to the loudness of the message signal. This
relationship holds significant importance when designing FM modulation systems, as
it impacts the bandwidth of the modulated signal and its signal-to-noise ratio.