Amplitude modulation Generation and

Detection Methods

Prepared by
K Kalpana
Assistant Professor
ECE Department
BEC,Bapatla
 Amplitude modulation family
• Amplitude modulation (AM) / Double sideband- Full carrier (DSB-FC)
• Double sideband-suppressed carrier (DSB-SC)
• Single sideband (SSB)
• Vestigial sideband (VSB)
These four types of modulation differ from each other by virtue of their
spectral characteristics.
Spectral Characteristics of AM family
Definition
• Amplitude modulation is formally defined as a process in which the
amplitude of the carrier wave c(t) is varied about a mean value,
linearly with the message signal m(t).
• carrier signal - c(t)
• message signal m(t).
• modulated signal s(t).
 AM Generation Methods
There are two methods to generate AM waves
1.Square-law modulator
2.Switching modulator
Square-law modulator
• A Square-law modulator requires three features: a means of summing
the carrier and modulating waves, a nonlinear element, and a band
pass filter for extracting the desired modulation products.
• Semi-conductor diodes and transistors are the most common
nonlinear devices used for implementing square law modulators.
• The filtering requirement is usually satisfied by using a single or
double tuned filters.
Derivation
• v2(t)=a1v1(t)+a2v12(t) ********/square law region /*******
• Where a1, a2 are constants
• v1(t)= Accos(2πfct)+m(t)
• The output of the non linear device is given by
• v2(t)=a1v1(t)+a2v12(t)
• v2(t)=a1 [Accos(2πfct)+m(t)]+a2 [Accos(2πfct)+m(t)]2
• [Accos(2πfct)+m(t)]2 =Ac2cos2(2πfct)+m2(t)+ 2Accos(2πfct)m(t)
cos2(2πfct) = 1+cos4πfct/2
• v2(t)=a1Accos(2πfct)+a1m(t)+ a2 Ac2 /2[(1+cos4πfct) ]+ a2 m2(t)+ a2
2Accos(2πfct)m(t)
• The output at filter is given by
• s(t)=a1Accos(2πfct)+ a2 2Accos(2πfct)m(t)
• s(t)= Accos(2πfct)[(a1+2a2 m(t)]
• s(t)= a1Accos(2πfct)[1+2a2 /a1 m(t)] ka= 2a2 /a1
Switching Modulator
• Assume that carrier wave c(t) applied to the diode is large in amplitude,
so that it swings right across the characteristic curve of the diode .
• Assume that the diode acts as an ideal switch, that is, it presents zero
impedance when it is forward-biased [c(t)>0] and infinite impedance
when it is reverse-biased [c(t)<0]
• We know that v1 (t)= Accos(2πfct)+m(t) Where m(t)<< Ac
The output voltage v2 (t)= v1 (t) c(t)>0
v2 (t)= 0 c(t)<0
The output voltage varies periodically between the values input voltage
V1 (t) and zero at a rate equal to the carrier frequency fc .
• v2(t)= [Accos(2πfct)+m(t)]gp(t)
• Where gp(t) is a periodic pulse train of duty cycle equal to one half
period To=1/fc
• 
• gp(t)= 1/2 + 2/π cos(2πfct) +odd harmonic components
•   v2(t)=[Accos(2πfct)+m(t)]gp(t)
• v2(t)=[Accos(2πfct)+m(t)] [1/2 + 2/π cos(2πfct) ]
• v2(t)=Accos(2πfct)/2+m(t)/2 + 2m(t)cos(2πfct) / π+ 2Accos2(2πfct)/ π
• v2(t)=Accos(2πfct)/2 + 2m(t)cos(2πfct) / π
• v2(t)=Accos(2πfct)/2 [1+ 4m(t) / Acπ] ka=4 / Acπ
Waveforms for switching modulator
Detection of AM
Demodulation: The process of recovering original message signal at the
receiver is called Demodulation.
There are three methods to demodulate AM signals. They are:
• Square-law detector
• Envelope detector
• Coherent Detector
Square-law detector

A Square-law demodulator requires nonlinear element and a low pass filter for extracting the desired message
signal. Semi-conductor diodes and transistors are the most common nonlinear devices used for implementing
square law demodulators.
The output of the square law device is given by
• v2(t)=a1v1(t)+a2v12(t) ********/square law region /*******
• Where a1, a2 are constants
• v1(t)= Accos(2πfct)[1+kam(t)]=s(t)
• v1(t)= Accos(2πfct)+kam(t) Accos(2πfct)
The output of the non linear device is given by
• v2(t)=a1v1(t)+a2v12(t)
• v2(t)=a1 [Accos(2πfct)+kam(t) Accos(2πfct)]+a2 [Accos(2πfct)+kam(t) Accos(2πfct)]2
• [Accos(2πfct)+kam(t) Accos(2πfct)]2 =Ac2cos2(2πfct)+ka2 m2(t) Ac2cos2(2πfct)

+2ka m(t) Ac2cos2(2πfct)

/******cos2(2πfct) = 1+cos4πfct/2
• v2(t )=a1 Accos(2πfct)+ a1 kam(t) Accos(2πfct)+ a2 Ac2(1+cos4πfct/2)
+ a2 ka2 m2(t) Ac2(1+cos4πfct/2)+ a2 2ka m(t) Ac2 [1+cos4πfct]/2
The output of the filter is given by
vo(t)= a2 ka m(t) Ac2
Envelope detector: It is Suited for narrowband AM
Percentage modulation less than 100%
• An envelope detector of the series type consists of a diode and
resistor-capacitor (RC) filter.
• The operation of this envelope detector is as follows.
• On a positive half-cycle of the input signal, the diode is forward-
biased and the capacitor C charges up rapidly to the peak value of the
input signal.
• When the input signal falls below this value, the diode becomes
reverse-biased and the capacitor C discharges slowly through the load
resistor The discharging process continues until the next positive half-
cycle.
• When the input signal becomes greater than the voltage across the
capacitor, the diode conducts again and the process is repeated.
 The diode is ideal, presenting resistance to current flow in the forward-
biased region and infinite resistance in the reverse-biased region.
We further assume that the AM wave applied to the envelope detector
is supplied by a voltage source of internal impedance
• The charging time constant C must be short compared with the carrier
period —
• The capacitor C charges rapidly and thereby follows the applied
voltage up to the positive peak when the diode is conducting.
• The charging time constant ( Rs +rf )C is very small when compared to
the carrier period 1/fc i.e.,
• ( Rs +rf )C<< 1/fc
• Where Rs = internal resistance of the voltage source. C = capacitor
• fc = carrier frequency
• The discharging time constant RlC is very large when compared to the
charging time constant i.e.,
• 1/fc << RlC << 1/W
• Capacitor discharges slowly through the load resistor between
positive peaks of the carrier wave, but not so long that the capacitor
voltage will not discharge at the maximum rate of change of the
modulating wave— that is, where W is the message bandwidth
Advantages:
• It is very simple to design
• It is inexpensive
• Efficiency is very high when compared to Square Law detector
Disadvantage:
• Due to large time constant, some distortion occurs which is known as
diagonal clipping i.e., selection of time constant is somewhat difficult.
• μ< 1 otherwise we cannot demodulate actual message signal.
μ>1
• Accos(2πfct)[1+kam(t)]=s(t) : c(t) =Accos(2πfct)
• vX(t)= Accos(2πfct)[1+kam(t)]* Accos(2πfct)
• vX(t)= Ac2cos2(2πfct)+ kam(t) Ac2cos2(2πfct)

*********cos2(2πfct) = 1+cos4πfct/2
• vX(t)= Ac2 [1+cos4πfct]/2 +Ac2 kam(t) [1+cos4πfct]/2
• The output of low pass filter is given by
• vo(t)= Ac2 kam(t)/2