Chapter One Introduction

Chapter One
Introduction

1.1 Overview

In our day-to-day life, we communicate with many people using

various communication techniques. We frequently use television, radio,
internet, newspaper, mobile and so on as source of different types of
communication. Electronic communication comprises TV, radio, internet,
etc. Here, when we need to transmit signal from one location to another,
then we need to strengthen the signal. So, that the signal travels for long
distances. This is called modulation and this article gives an overview of
modulation and types of modulation techniques. Communication is the
process of exchanging (two-way communication) or passing (one way
communication) information from one person to another. The basic
electronic communication system consists of these components such as
transmitter, receiver and communication channel.

Figure 1.1: Communication System.

The transmitter is a group of electronic circuits which is designed to

convert the information into a signal for transmission over a given

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Chapter One Introduction

communication medium. A receiver is a group of electronic circuits which

is designed to convert the signal back to the original information.
The communication channel is the medium which is designed to transmit
the electronic signal from one place to another.

We convey our messages to someone and outside world through voice,

facial expressions, gestures. This is the communication method between
human beings. However, in technological point of view these messages can
be base-band audio, video and even digital bits from computer.
Telecommunication is the core subject for sending messages from one place
to another place. Here we are discussing various types of modulations which
are the core mechanisms for any telecommunication devices. Before we
start this subject let us go back in the history of telecommunication.
Telephone was the first device to send analog audio signals over long
distance through copper wire. Telegraph was on the other way to send
messages in the forms of dash-dots. Telephone and telegraph remains the
base of all modern day's communication. Present days we send audio, video,
bitstreams from computes through copper wires, co-axial cable, even
through wireless radio waves, microwaves, infrared, and in the form visual
lights through optical fiber. Baseband signals can be sent to some distance
through copper wire but sending those to a long distance has many
challenges. Let us discuss these problems and how modulation came in to
picture.

Electronic devices produce messages like analog baseband signals in

the form of audio, video or even messages can be in the form of digital bits
from computer. To send these messages we must have some communication
channel like wires, co-axial cable, even wireless radio waves, microwaves
or infrared. We can easily transmit messages through wires or cables. Voice,
Video, bit streams from computer are having lower frequency band and can

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Chapter One Introduction

travel few distance with wires but cannot be sent through wireless media.
Voice signal has lower Bandwidth therefore it will not propagate through
space and will be attenuated. To transmit voice signal a large size antenna is
required as antenna length is proportional to half of wavelength. The size of
the antenna will be more than the distance between transmitter and receiver.
Again, when more than one transmitter is involved all station will overlap in
one frequency band. For those above reasons we choose a carrier, which is a
high frequency radio wave, can travel long distance without attenuation and
as the frequency is high smaller antenna is required. Selecting different
carrier frequency for different transmitting stations can eliminate
overlapping of frequency band.

In this research, we shall study the modulation and why we need

modulation, advantages and disadvantages of each type, and we shall take
AM and FM modulation techniques specifically and focus on them with
their circuits, and will provide a model with the aid of MATLAB for AM
and FM modulators and demodulator circuits and see the signals transmitted
and received as well.

1.2 Aim of the Project

This project is to learn what is modulation and why we need

modulation in our life, and to study the different types of modulation , and
studying the advantages and disadvantages of each type, also we shall
consider AM and FM modulation techniques specifically with their circuits
of modulation and demodulation . We shall use MATLAB program to
simulate the model of modulation /demodulation AM-FM circuits and
check/see the signals transmitted and received as well.

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Chapter One Introduction

1.3 Purpose of Modulation

In order to transmit a data there are some problems to know, where

these problems can be summarized by:

1. Voice, Video, bit streams from computer are having lower frequency

band

2. They can travel few distance with wires but not cannot propagate

through space

3. Antenna size is half of wavelength thus antenna length for Voice,

Video, bit streams would be impractical

4. Assume we transmit Voice, Video, bit streams over an imaginary

antenna but being in the same frequency range all channels will

overlap

 Solution

1. carrier signal is used to carry signal to long distance

2. Modulation is used with a selected carrier frequency signal to mix

baseband with carrier

3. carrier frequency is in higher frequency radio wave length and thus

antenna size would be smaller

4. Radio waves can travel longer distance with very less attenuation

5. Radio wave has a wide range of frequencies to select individual non-

overlapping channels

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Chapter One Introduction

1.4 Modulation Theory

Modulation is nothing but, a carrier signal that varies in accordance with the
message signal.

Figure 1.2: Modulation techniques

Modulation technique is used to change the signal characteristics. Basically,

the modulation is of following two types:

 Analog Modulation
 Digital Modulation

In analog modulation, analog signal (sinusoidal signal) is used as a

carrier signal that modulates the message signal or data signal. The general
function Sinusoidal wave’s is shown in the figure below, in which, three
parameters can be altered to get modulation – they are amplitude, frequency
and phase; so, the types of analog modulation are:

 Amplitude Modulation (AM)

 Frequency Modulation (FM)
 Phase Modulation (PM)

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Chapter One Introduction

Figure 1.3: Analog modulation

1.4.1 Amplitude Modulation

Amplitude modulation was developed in the beginning of the 20th
century. It was the earliest modulation technique used to transmit voice by
radio. This type of modulation technique is used in electronic
communication. In this modulation, the amplitude of the carrier signal
varies in accordance with the message signal, and other factors like phase
and frequency remain constant.
The modulated signal is shown in the below figure, and its spectrum
consists of the lower frequency band, upper frequency band and carrier
frequency components. This type of modulation requires more power and
greater bandwidth; filtering is very difficult. Amplitude modulation is used
in computer modems, VHF aircraft radio, and in portable two-way radio

1.4.2 Frequency Modulation

In this type of modulation, the frequency of the carrier signal varies in
accordance with the message signal, and other parameters like amplitude
and phase remain constant. Frequency modulation is used in different
applications like radar, radio and telemetry, seismic prospecting and
monitoring newborns for seizures via EEG, etc.

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Chapter One Introduction

This type of modulation is commonly used for broadcasting music and

speech, magnetic tape recording systems, two way radio systems and video
transmission systems. When noise occurs naturally in radio systems,
frequency modulation with sufficient bandwidth provides an advantage in
cancelling the noise.

1.5 Advantages and Disadvantages of AM/FM

The Advantages and Disadvantages of both of AM and FM can be

summarized as follows:

Advantages of Amplitude modulation:

1. AM receivers are cheaper to design, less complexity, and require lesser
number of components.

2. AM waves occupy limited bandwidth for same information transfer than

FM waves.

3. More coverage area than FM because of atmospheric propagation, with

long distance because of its wavelength

Disadvantages of Amplitude modulation:

1. AM waves are more affected by noise than FM, so voice quality is poor
in AM.
2. Increasing the transmitter power is the only way to overcome the noise,
3. Weaker than FM signal when traveling through obstacles
4. Difficult to recover the original signal with noisy transmitted signal

Advantages of Frequency modulation:

1. Voice quality of FM is better than AM.
2. Frequency modulation is resilient to signal level variations. Any
variation in signal level does not affect the output as long as the

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receiver is able to cope up with the signal level. This makes the FM
ideal for two-way radio communication or mobile communication
application.
3. Frequency modulation is also resilient to noise and interference.
4. It is also easier to apply modulation at a low-level power stage of a
transmitter.
5. With the help of frequency modulated signals, we can use RF
amplifiers.

Disadvantages of Frequency modulation:

1. FM receivers are more complicated, expensive, and require more number
of components.

2. FM doesn’t have as efficient spectral efficiency as some of the other

modulation formats.

3. FM waves occupy more bandwidth for same information transfer than

AM waves. So, in applications where we don’t require high quality voice
we use AM and in applications where high-quality voice is required FM is
used.

1.6 Applications of Frequency Modulation

 Frequency modulation can be used for the broadcasting of FM radio.

This helps in larger signal to noise ratio.
 Telemetry, radar and seismic prospecting, EEG monitoring of newborns
etc., also use the technique of frequency modulation.
 It is also used in music synthesis, some systems that use video-
transmission and for magnetic tape-recording systems.

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1.7 Applications of Amplitude Modulation

Some applications of amplitude modulation include broadcast

transmissions, air band radio, single sideband and quadrature amplitude
modulation. Amplitude modulation involves moderating a radio signal to
carry sound or other information.

 Radio broadcastings

 Tv broadcastings

 Garage door opens keyless remotes

 Transmits TV signals

 Short wave radio communications

 Two-way radio communication.

The following table mentions difference between AM, FM modulation

techniques.

Table 1.1: Difference between AM, FM modulation techniques.

Feature AM FM

Amplitude of carrier wave

Frequency of carrier wave
varies as per amplitude or
Function varies as per voltage of
voltage of modulating
modulating signal input.
signal input.

Carrier frequency of carrier wave amplitude of carrier wave

parameter is kept constant is kept constant

Digital FM types include

AM types include DSB-
Types FSK, GFSK, Offset FSK
SC, SSB…etc.
etc.