Lecture 3

MODULATION TECHNIQUES

Linear Modulation (AM)

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 Just to remember
 DSB modulation and demodulation

 To avoid difficult demodulation of DSB, an alternative modulation was proposed.

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 2.2 LINEAR MODULATION
Amplitude Modulation (AM)

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2.2.1 From DSB to Amplitude Modulation (AM)
 Imagine that the message signal 𝑚 𝑡 is always
positive

 The envelope of modulated carrier 𝑥𝑐 𝑡 is an

amplified copy of 𝑚 𝑡

 In this case, the message can be extracted by a simple

and cheap envelope detector instead of complex
and expensive coherent demodulator

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 2.2.2 From DSB to Amplitude Modulation (AM)
 The envelope detector is composed of a diode followed by a capacitor and
resistor

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 2.2.3 From DSB to Amplitude Modulation (AM)
Message has some negative values
 Can we use envelope detector when m(t) is
negative?

 It is clear that the envelope of 𝑥𝑐 𝑡 is not an

amplified version 𝑚 𝑡 : the answer is then NO

 Is it important to have a cheap receiver ? YES

especially when analog modulation was
invented

Envelope is not same as message

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 2.2.4 Amplitude Modulation (AM)
 Amplitude modulation is invented in order to permit the demodulation of
the message from the received signal by using a cheap envelope detector
instead of expensive coherent demodulator

 A certain complexity is added to the transmitter. But, in a radio system we have

one transmitter and millions of receivers.

 AM results when a carrier is added to a DSB signal

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 2.2.5 Amplitude Modulation (AM)
 DSB modulated carrier:
𝒙𝒄 𝒕 = 𝑨𝒄 𝒎(𝒕)𝐜𝐨𝐬(𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕)
 AM modulated carrier:
from DSB to AM
𝒙𝒄 𝒕 = 𝑨𝒄 𝒂𝒎𝒏 (𝒕) 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕 + 𝑨𝒄 𝒄𝒐𝒔(𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕)

= 𝑨𝒄 𝟏 + 𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒕 𝐜𝐨𝐬(𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕)

 a = modulation index generally 𝟎 < 𝒂 ≤ 𝟏 𝒎(𝒕)

 𝒎𝒏 𝒕 = normalized or a scaled version of 𝒎 𝒕 ;
𝒎𝒏 𝒕 =
𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝒎(𝒕)

 Discussion:
 𝑚𝑛 𝑡 ≥ −1; since it is normalized by the absolute minimum.
 𝑎𝑚𝑛 𝑡 ≥ −1; since a is bounded in the interval [0-1].
 1 + 𝑎𝑚𝑛 𝑡 ≥ 0

 The envelope of the AM signal 𝑥𝑐 𝑡 which is equal to 𝑨𝒄 𝟏 + 𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒕 is non-negative for all t. Envelope
detection can be easily used to demodulate AM signal. We can still use the coherent demodulation but this neglects
8 the advantage of AM.
 2.2.6 AM practical issues

 As long as 𝑎 ≤ 1
then we can use
envelope
demodulation to
extract the
message signal
 In the figure – (a)
a =0.5, (b) a = 1
and (c) a = 1.5

9 EENG447 Analog Communication Systems 10/18/2020

 2.2.7 Amplitude Modulation (AM): modulator

Steps:
1. Normalize by absolute
minimum.
2. Multiply by
modulation index.
3. Add Dc=1.
4. Multiply by carrier.

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 2.2.8 Amplitude Modulation (AM): spectrum

 AM modulated signal: 𝒙𝒄 𝒕 = 𝑨𝒄 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕 + 𝑨𝒄 𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒕 𝐜𝐨𝐬(𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕),

 Fourier transform of 𝑥𝑐 𝑡 ?

𝑨𝒄 𝑨𝒄 𝑨𝒄
𝑿𝒄 𝒇 = 𝜹 𝒇 − 𝒇𝒄 + 𝜹 𝒇 + 𝒇𝒄 + 𝒂 𝑴𝒏 𝒇 − 𝒇𝒄 + 𝒂𝑴𝒏 (𝒇 + 𝒇𝒄 )
𝟐 𝟐 𝟐
 It is clear that the spectrum of AM signal is similar to the DSB one with an added carrier at 𝒇𝒄

The bandwidth of AM signal

is equal to the one of a DSB
signal = 2W

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2W
 2.2.9 Amplitude Modulation (AM): demodulator

 The output of the envelope detector: 𝒆𝟎 𝒕 ≈ 𝟏 + 𝒂𝒎𝒏 (𝒕)

The message signal can be easily extracted from 𝑒0 𝑡 by simple manipulations

 The R-C time constant of the detection should be chosen carefully depending
on the carrier frequency 𝑓𝑐 and the message bandwidth 𝑊

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 2.2.9 Amplitude Modulation (AM): demodulator

 The time constant must be selected to follow

the variations in the envelope of the modulated
signal:
- If RC is too large, then the discharge of the
capacitor is too slow and again the output will
not follow the envelope.
- If RC is too small, then the output of the
filter falls very rapidly after each peak and will
not follow the envelope closely.
- For good performance of the envelope
detector,

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 2.2.10 Amplitude Modulation (AM): efficiency

 DSB is 100% power efficient as all the transmitted power lies in the side bands
that carry the message 𝑚(𝑡)

 In AM, the carrier component 𝐴𝑐 cos 2𝜋𝑓𝑐 𝑡 is a wasted power as it does not
contain any information

 Recall that the average power of a sinusoidal signal 𝑥 𝑡 = 𝐴 cos 2𝜋𝑓0 𝑡 is

𝟏 𝑻 𝟏 𝑻 𝟐 𝟏 𝑻 𝑨𝟐 𝑨𝟐
< 𝒙𝟐 (𝒕) >= 𝑻 𝟎
(𝑨 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝟐𝝅𝑓0 𝒕)𝟐 𝒅𝒕 = 𝑻 𝟎
𝑨 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝟐 𝟐𝝅𝑓 𝒕
0 = 𝑻 𝟎 𝟐
[𝟏 + 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝟒𝝅𝑓0 𝒕] = 𝟐

14 Note that <.> represents the average value.

 2.2.10 Amplitude Modulation (AM): efficiency
 The total power contained in the AM modulation output (assuming that m(t) is
varying slowly with respect to the carrier and that it has a zero average):

𝒙𝒄 𝒕 = 𝑨𝒄 𝟏 + 𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒕 𝐜𝐨𝐬(𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕)

𝒙𝒄 𝒕 = 𝑨𝒄 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕 + 𝑨𝒄 𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒕 𝐜𝐨𝐬(𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕) Power of carrier signal

𝑨𝟐𝒄 𝑨𝟐𝒄 𝒂𝟐 < 𝒎𝟐𝒏 𝒕 >

< 𝒙𝟐𝒄 𝒕 >= +
𝟐 𝟐
sideband (message) power.

 The efficiency is defined as the ratio of the power in the message signal (the sideband
power) to the total power in the transmitted signal. This is:

𝒂𝟐 < 𝒎𝟐𝒏 𝒕 >

Eff = The efficiency depends on a
𝟏 + 𝒂𝟐 < 𝒎𝟐𝒏 𝒕 >
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 2.2.10 Amplitude Modulation (AM): efficiency
𝒂𝟐 < 𝒎𝟐𝒏 𝒕 >
Eff =
𝟏 + 𝒂𝟐 < 𝒎𝟐𝒏 𝒕 >
 If 𝑎 ≤ 1, the maximum efficiency is 50%
 In order to obtain an Eff = 100%, 𝑎 → ∞, but envelope detection can
not be used in this case

• Thus, the carrier component 𝑨𝒄 𝐜𝐨𝐬(𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕) is wasted power.

• This fact can be of considerable importance in an environment where

power is limited.

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 2.2.11 Amplitude Modulation (AM): modulation trapezoid

 we can plot 𝒙𝒄 𝒕 = 𝑨𝒄 𝟏 + 𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒕 𝐜𝐨𝐬(𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕) using an oscilloscope

modulated message
carrier signal

 The goal is to compute the modulation index in a nice way

𝐴−𝐵
 The modulation index can be obtained as 𝒂 =
𝐴+𝐵
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 2.2.11 Amplitude Modulation (AM): modulation trapezoid

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 2.2.11 Amplitude Modulation (AM): modulation trapezoid

When a>1, the trapezoid would become two triangles

that meet at the apex of each triangle (both on their
side).

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 2.2.11 Amplitude Modulation (AM): modulation trapezoid

𝐴−𝐵
𝒂 =
𝐴+𝐵

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 Exercise1 on AM
 Consider the following figure representing a snapshot of an oscilloscope measurement of a received AM signal s(t)

a. Based on the above figure, plot the corresponding modulation trapezoid?

b. Find the modulation index?
c. Can this received signal be demodulated using envelope detector?

Solution 2.5

a 0.5

𝑩=1 𝑨=5
-0.5

-2.5 c Yes the AM signal can be

𝒂 =
𝐴−𝐵 5−1 2
= 5+1=3 demodulated using
b 𝐴+𝐵 envelope detector since
a<1
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 Exercise2 on AM
 The following message signal is periodic with a period of 𝑇:
a. Given that it is required to produce an AM signal b. If 𝑚(𝑡) in (a) is AM modulated with a modulation
using the above message signal, with an efficiency index of 𝑎 = 0.2, write the mathematical
of at least 30%, what should the modulation index representation of the resulting signal? What
be set at? percentage of the power of the signal is in the
carrier frequency in this case?

Solution

a 𝒂𝟐 < 𝒎𝟐𝒏 𝒕 > 𝒙𝒄 𝒕 = 𝑨𝒄 𝟏 + 𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒕 𝐜𝐨𝐬(𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕) =

Eff = b
𝟏 + 𝒂𝟐 < 𝒎𝟐𝒏 𝒕 >
𝑻
𝑻 𝑨𝒄 𝟏 + 𝟎. 𝟐 𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝟎 ≤ 𝒕 ≤
𝒎𝒏 𝒕 = 𝟏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝟎 ≤ 𝒕 ≤ 𝟐
𝟐
𝒎𝒏 𝒕 = −𝟏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑻/𝟐 ≤ 𝒕 ≤ 𝑻 𝑨𝒄 𝟏 − 𝟎. 𝟐 𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝟐𝝅𝒇𝒄 𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑻/𝟐 ≤ 𝒕 ≤ 𝑻

𝒂 = 𝟎. 𝟐
𝑻/𝟐 𝑻
𝟏 𝟏
< 𝒎𝟐𝒏 𝒕 >= 𝟏 𝒅𝒕 + 𝟏 𝒅𝒕 = 𝟏
𝑻 𝟎 𝑻 𝑻/𝟐
𝟎. 𝟎𝟒
𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏: 𝑬𝒇𝒇 = = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟑𝟖 = 𝟑. 𝟖%
𝟏. 𝟎𝟒

𝒂𝟐 𝟎. 𝟑 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 − 𝟑. 𝟖 = 𝟗𝟔. 𝟐%

Eff = 𝟐
= 𝟎. 𝟑 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝟎. 𝟕𝒂𝟐 = 𝟎. 𝟑 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂 = = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟓
𝟏+𝒂 𝟎. 𝟕
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 DSB versus AM modulation

 Transmission bandwidth required by DSB and AM are the same.

 Advantage of DSB over AM lies in saving transmitted power, which is important enough when the
available transmitted power is at a premium such as commercial radio.
 The efficiency of DSB is 100% while the efficiency of AM depends on the modulation index a and
normalized message power and its maximum value is 50%.
 Advantage of AM over DSB lies in the simple cheap envelope detector for demodulation process.

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 Lecture summary

In this lecture, we learned that:

 AM modulation was proposed as an alternative for the DSB modulation for simple demodulation
process (envelope detector).
 AM is derived from the DSB by scaling the message signal and then adding a carrier component.
 AM is generated based on two main steps:
1- normalizing and then scaling the message signal
2- adding a DC=1 to the result then multiplying it by the carrier signal
 The efficiency of an AM modulation depends on the modulation index and power of normalized
message.
 The modulation index can be monitored using the oscilloscope (trapezoid shape).

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 Next lecture

Analog modulation techniques

Non-linear modulation (angle

Linear modulation techniques
modulation) techniques

FM PM
DSB Amplitude
SSB modulation VSB modulation
modulation modulation

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