‫‪Communications I‬‬

‫‪ECE402‬‬
‫‪Laboratory 03‬‬

‫)‪FM Modulaion(FM‬‬
‫‪#‬‬ ‫‪Student ID‬‬ ‫‪Student Name‬‬ ‫‪Grade‬‬ ‫‪Instructor‬‬
‫)‪(10‬‬ ‫‪signature‬‬

‫‪1‬‬

‫‪ .1‬يتم تسليم التمزين محلوال فى خالل اسبوع من تبريخ التمزين‪ .‬و يتم حذف درجتين من التمزين عن‬
‫كل اسبوع تبخيز‬
‫‪ .2‬يتم التسليم لمعيد لمقزر مببشزة‪.‬‬
‫‪ .3‬يتم اجببت التمزين فى نفس ورقت االسئلت‪.‬‬

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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 OV, 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 OV, 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.

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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.

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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.

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 7. Set the scope's Timebase control to the 20JJs/div position.

8. Adjust the VCO module's Frequency Adjust control so that one cycle of
its output is exactly 5 divisions.

Note: This sets the VCO module's rest frequency to 10 kHz

(proof:

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.

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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 2 kHz squarewave message signal and the
VCO module is the
FM modulator with a 10 kHz carrier.

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?

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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.

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 20JJs/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.

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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?

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.

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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.

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

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 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.

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