UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

TELECOMMUNICATIONS (EE 310) LAB REPORT

NAME

NYATSINE RUMBIDZAI A

REG NUMBER

R137294H

AMPLITUDE MODULATION AND DEMODULATION

Part III
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

AM MODULATION AND DEMODULATION

Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.

To study the process of AM modulation and demodulation

To observe the carrier waveforms on C.R.O
To modulate carrier with audio signal and observe waveforms on C.R.O
To modulate amplitude modulated waveform and observe on C.R.O

Laboratory Equipment
The equipment consisted of built-in parts which were mounted on a board as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

+9 d.c at 100mA, IC Regulated power supply internally connected

Carrier generator
Modulating circuit based on two transistors
Demodulating circuit
Mains ON/OFF switch, fuse and Neon Jewel light
Decade audio frequency generator
Cathode ray oscilloscope 20 MHz
Other electronic components

EXPERIMENT 1
Objective(s) To observe the carrier wave form on C.R.O
Procedures
1. The mains supply was switched ON
2. The C.R.O probe was connected at socket marked CARRIER SIGNAL
3. The carrier waveform, shown in Fig. 1, was noted whilst adjusting the time
base on the C.R.O
4. The waveform frequency was observed
Observations

Figure 1 Carrier waveform

Comments
The waveform which was produced of the Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (CRO) is a sinusoidal
waveform

EXPERIMENT 2
Objective(s)

To modulate the carrier with audio signal and observe waveforms on

C.R.O

Procedures
1. The mains supply was switched ON
2. The carrier signal was connected to carrier sockets using patch cords and then
a 1 kHz audio signal from the Audio Frequency Generator was fed to the
Audio sockets.
3. The output waveform at the sockets marked modulated out, shown in Fig. 2,
was observed.

Observations

Figure 2 AM signal

Comments
The CRO above is showing a modulated signal. A carrier signal contains the audio signal, the
carrier signal takes the shape of the audio signal, and the audio signal is contained within the
carrier. If the audio signal is removed the carrier can still be transmitted but it do not contain
any massage.
.

EXPERIMENT 3
Objective(s) To measure the percentage modulation of the amplitude modulated waveform.
Procedures
1. The mains supply was switched ON
2. The carrier signal was connected from the sockets marked carrier signal to
sockets marked carrier in and then a 1kHz audio signal from the Audio
Frequency Generator was fed to the Audio socket marked AUDIO IN.
3. Amplitude of the modulated waveform was observed on the C.R.O whilst
slowly increasing the level of the audio signal.

4. For a particular level of Audio signal, A and B shown in Fig. 3 were measured
and calculated the amplitude modulation using the formula:
m=

AB
100
A+ B

Figure 3

input
4
5
6

A
2.6
2.8
2.7

B
1.2
0.7
1.0

MODULATION INDEX
36.0%
60.0%
45.9%

Figure 3: AM signals as a result of different levels of AUDIO SIGNALS

Comments

Modulation index is the measure of the extent to which the modulation is taking place and is
a value between 0 and 1. As we increase the value level of the audio the percentage
modulation is increasing

Experiment 4

Objective(s) To demodulate amplitude modulated waveform and observe on C.R.O.

Procedures
1. The mains supply was switched ON
2. The carrier signal was connected to the sockets marked CARRIER IN and
then a 1 kHz audio signal from the Audio Frequency Generator was fed to the
Audio socket marked AUDIO IN.
3. The sockets marked modulated output were connected to the sockets marked
Modulated Signal IN of the demodulating circuit.
4. The waveform was observed at sockets marked DEMODULATED OUTPUT.
Observations
A time varying continuous signal waveform is shown on the screen of the C.R.O with a
frequency approximately equal to 1 kHz which is the same as the audio signal.

Comments
The demodulating circuitry detects the envelope of the Amplitude modulated signal then it
downwardly translates the frequency spectrum of the modulated signal. A waveform which is
the same as that of the audio signal is then produced at the output

Questions

1. What type of electronic device is required for AM?

Modulator.

2. What will be the result if we remove positive half of the AM signal instead of its
negative half during demodulation?
Removing the positive half cycle of the AM signal does not affect anything the diode
only allows the current to flow in one direction unless it has reached the breakdown
point and in revers bias has very little current it operates by detecting the envelope of
the incoming signal which it does by rectifying the signal. Current is allowed to flow
through the diode in only one direction, giving either the positive or negative half of
the envelope at the output

3. Can we reverse the direction of the diode in the demodulating circuits?

The direction of the diode can be reversed especially if the detector is the one which is
being used, for audio signal direction it does not matter which half of the envelope is
used since both sides contain the same massage. Only when the detector is also used
to supply the automatic gain control (AGC) circuitry will the polarity of the diode
matter. The diodes may be reversed to detect the negative envelope rather than the
positive envelope

References
Basic Electronics by Henry Jacobowitz