AMPLITUDE

MODULATION
WHAT IS AMPLITUDE MODULATION?
 The modulation of a wave by varying its amplitude,
used chiefly as a means of radio broadcasting, in which
an audio signal is combined with a carrier wave.

 Modulation technique used in electronic

communication, most commonly for transmitting
information via a radio carrier wave.
 WHAT IS MODULATION ?

 Modulation is the basic requirement for transmitting

the message signal through free space.

 It is the process of transmission of information signal

(low frequency audio signal) using high frequency
carrier signal.
 FORMULA’S IN MODULATION
 Sine wave (carrier) described by 3 parameters:
amplitude, frequency and phase.

 Let carrier signal be:

c(t)  VcSin(2πfct )
Where:
c(t) = instantaneous value of carrier sine wave
voltage

Vc = peak amplitude of carrier sine wave

fc = frequency of carrier sine wave

 FORMULA’S IN MODULATION
 Sine wave (modulating signal) described by 3
parameters:
amplitude, frequency and phase.

 Let carrier signal be:

m(t)  VmSin(2πfmt )

Where:
m(t) = instantaneous value of modulating signal sine
wave voltage

Vm = peak amplitude of modulating signal sine wave

fm = frequency of information signal

Note: The Information is contained in the
envelope
NOTE:
The amplitude of the modulating signal
should be less than the amplitude of the carrier.
When the amplitude of the modulating signal is
greater than the amplitude of the carrier,
distortion will occur, causing incorrect
information to be transmitted. Mathematically,

Vm < Vc
 OVERALL MODULATED
SIGNAL
AM(t)  VcSin(2πfct )  ( mV
2
c
) {Cos [2πt(fc - fm)] - Cos[2πt(fc  fm)]}

CARRIER LSB USB

 MODULATION INDEX
AND
PERCENTAGE OF MODULATION
MODULATION INDEX m - (also called the
modulating factor or coeficient, or the degree of
modulation), is the ratio:
m  Vm
Vc

Note: Multiplying the modulation index by

100 gives the percentage of
modulation.
OVERMODULATION AND
DISTORTION
The modulation index should be a
number between 0 and 1. If the amplitude
of the modulating voltage is higher than the
carrier voltage, m will be greater than 1,
causing distortion of the modulated
waveform.
 Vmax  Vmin Vmax  Vmin
Vm  2
Vc  2

Vmax  Vmin
m Vmax  Vmin
 SIDEBANDS AND THE
FREQUENCY DOMAIN
Sideband Calculations:
The upper sideband fUSB and lower
sideband fLSB are computed as:
f USB  f c  f m and f LSB  f c  f m
The existence of sidebands can be
demonstrated mathematically, starting with
the equation for an AM signal described
previously: mVc
AM(t)  VcSin(2πfct )  ( 2
) {Cos [2πt(fc - fm)] - Cos[2πt(fc  fm)]}

CARRIER LSB USB

BANDWIDTH
BW  fUSB – fLSB  2fm
 AM POWER
P T  P C  P LSB  P USB  P C  P SB
PT PC (1  m 2
)
2

P USB  P LSB 
m 2P C
4

P SB 
m 2P C PC 
vC2
2 2R
SINGLE-SIDEBAND MODULATION
 In amplitude modulation, two-thirds of
the transmitted power is in the carrier,
which
itself conveys no information.
 The real information is contained within
the sidebands.
 One way to improve the eficiency of
amplitude modulation is to suppress the
carrier
and eliminate one sideband.
 The result is a single-sideband (SSB)
signal. SSB is a form of AM that offers
unique benefits in some types of electronic
communication.
 DOUBLE-SIDEBAND
SUPPRESSED CARRIER
(DSSC OR DSB)
is transmission in which frequencies
produced by amplitude modulation (AM) are
symmetrically spaced above and below
the carrier frequency and the carrier level
is reduced to the lowest practical level, ideally
being completely suppressed.
 SINGLE-SIDEBAND
SUPPRESSED CARRIER
(SSSC OR SSB)

is a type of modulation, used to transmit

information, such as an audio signal, by radio
waves. A refinement of
amplitude modulation, it uses transmitter
power and bandwidth more efficiently.
 SIGNAL POWER
CONSIDERATIONS
In SSB, the transmitter output is
expressed in terms of peak envelope
power (PEP),
the maximum power produced on
voice amplitude peaks.
PEP  V rms 2 Note: Vrms = 0.707Vp
R Vp = Vp-p / 2
where :
PEP  VsImax Vs = amplifier supply
voltage
Imax = current peak
Pavg  PEP
Note: The average power is
Pavg  PEP or typically only one-fourth to one-
3 4 third of the PEP value with typical
human speech
IMAGE FREQUENCY
fi  fa  2IF
Where:
fi = image frequency
fa = input frequency
IF = intermediate frequency
Am: 455khz Fm: 10.7Mhz

REJECTION RATIO
a  1   2Q 2
Where:
a = rejection ratio
Q = quality factor

p  fi  fa
fa fi
EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
AND PROBLEMS
Determine the Power saving in
percent when the carrier is
suppressed in an AM signal
modulation to 80%.

a. 74.75%
b. 73.82%
c. 75.76%
d. 72.75%
 EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
AND PROBLEMS
An SSB transmitter radiates 100w in 75
load. The carrier signal is modulated by two
tones, with frequencies 2khz and 3khz with
equal magnitude and only the lower
sideband is transmitted with a suppressed
carrier. What is the peak voltage across the
load ?

a. 124.8v
b. 122.5v
c. 121.4v
d. 125.9v
 EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
AND PROBLEMS

The carrier frequency is usually lower

than the modulating frequency.

a. True
b. False
EXAMPLE QUESTIONS AND
PROBLEMS
 What happens when the amplitude of
the modulating signal is greater than
the amplitude of the carrier?
a) Decay
b) Distortion
c) Amplification
d) Attenuation
 EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
AND PROBLEMS
What is the circuit used for producing
AM called?
a) Modulator
b) Transmitter
c) Receiver
d) Duplexer