NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY

School of Engineering & Technology

EN214-Data Communications and Transmission

Systems

Amplitude Modulation and Demodulation

NAME: LAKSHMANA MENON A/L KRISHNAN

STUDENT NO: T42801

LECTURER: Mr. YOONG MAN

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 16th APRIL 2007

1
AM THEORY

When a modulating signal m(t)=Vmsin(2πfmt) modulates the carrier Vcsin(2πfct) to produce

modulated signal s(t) conforming following equation then it is a kind of AM modulation.

(By this the amplitude of carrier is changed from Vc to [Vc + Vm2sinπ fmt)]. That is, the
information signal (the modulating signal) is embedded in the amplitude of the carrier.
Hence it is called amplitude modulation (AM).
The expression of modulated signal (as in Equation 1.a) can be written in the following
form.

Where, m = Vm/Vc is called modulation index and usually expressed in %. For 100%
modulation m = 1. The expression of modulated signal (as in Equation 1.b) can be re-
written in the following form.

Clearly two frequencies (fc and fm) produced three frequencies:

1 . • The original carrier frequency (fc), called center frequency. The modulated
2 signal contains the full-carrier waveform
3 . • Frequency (fc + fm), called upper-sideband
4 . • Frequency (fc −fm), called lower-sideband

INTRODUCTION

2
 Amplitude modulation (AM) is the modulation method used in the AM radio
broadcast band. In this system the intensity, or amplitude, of the carrier wave varies in
accordance with the modulating signal. When the carrier is thus modulated, a fraction of
the power is converted to sidebands extending above and below the carrier frequency by
an amount equal to the highest modulating frequency.

If the modulated carrier is rectified and the carrier frequency filtered out, the
modulating signal can be recovered. This form of modulation is not a very efficient way
to send information; the power required is relatively large because the carrier, which
contains no information, is sent along with the information.

In a variant of amplitude modulation, called single sideband modulation (SSB),

the modulated signal contains only one sideband and no carrier. The information can be
demodulated only if the carrier is used as a reference. This is normally accomplished by
generating a wave in the receiver at the carrier frequency. SSB modulation is used for
long-distance telephony (such as in the amateur radio bands) and telegraphy over land.

3
COMPONENT OF AM EXPERIMENT

4
EXPERIMENT ON AM MODULATION

1. The op-amp summer circuit is built and two functions generators are attached to
the inputs of the op-amp circuit as shown in figure 2.One of the carrier sinusoidal
Vcsin (2πfct) and other is for modulating signal m(t) = Vmsin (2πfmt).

2. The carrier generator is set to 159 kHz at 1.5 Vp-p and the modulating signal
generator to 1 kHz at 1.5 Vp-p. (This will allow the peak amplitude (0.75V) of the
carrier wave to utilize the nonlinear portion of the diode). Figure 3 represents this
setup.

3. Summed waveform (the output of the op-amp) is measured with oscilloscope and
spectrum analyzer. Waveforms are shown below:-

5
WAVEFORM WITH OSCILLOSCOPE:

6
WAVEFORM WITH SPECTRUM ANALYSER:

7
4. Amplitude of the modulating signal is reduced to 200 mV p-p. The
carrier input is left as it is (i.e., 1.5V p-p). The diode and tank
circuit is connected to the output of the op-amp summer.

5. The AM waveform appears at the output of the tank circuit. AM

output may initially appear distorted. Carrier amplitude and
modulation amplitude is finely adjusted so that the AM wave is
not distorted and modulation index is 50%.

6. Output waveform of the tank circuit is measured with an

oscilloscope. A printout of the waveform is taken and the
maximum and minimum peak-to-peak values of the signal on the
diagram is measured and recorded. Printouts are attached
together with this report.

8
9
7. The output spectrum of the tank circuit is observed, measured with the spectrum
analyzer. It is then drawn and attached with the report.

10
EXPERIMENT ON AM DEMODULATION

Demodulation of the AM wave requires a circuit that can recover the positive or negative
envelope of the signal. Note that in AM wave the amplitude envelope contains the
information signal (modulating signal). A simple peak detector circuit as shown in Figure
4 is commonly used to detect the AM wave (i.e., demodulate the AM wave). The peak
detector consists of a diode (a half-wave rectifier) with a RC circuit (a low-pass filter)
connected across its output. The capacitor is used to filter out the carrier frequency of the
AM wave and pass the peak detected output signal shown. During the positive halves of
the AM carrier’s cycle, the diode D1 is forward-biased. Capacitor C1 charge to the peak
value of the AM signal’s amplitude. During the negative halves of the AM signal’s cycle,
diode D1 is reversed-biased, thus causing capacitor to discharge through resistor R3. If
the RC time constant is made large enough to remain charged until next positive peak
cycle, then the carrier frequency is essentially filtered out and only the positive envelope
remains. This is the modulating signal. The time constant used here is 0.1millisecond
(1kΩ x 0.1 μF).

1 1. AM modulator circuit is set and the same modulated signal is generated as in

0 the previous experiment.
2
3 2. The op-amp circuit part of the demodulator circuit is built as shown in Figure 4

11
1 3. An oscilloscope is attached to the output of the op-amp and amplitude of
2 the AM signal is set to 10 Vp-p using 10-kΩ feedback potentiometer, R2. This
3 will give the AM signal sufficient amplitude to drive the peak detector.

4. The diode and RC circuit are added to op-amp circuit to complete demodulator
(peak detector) circuit.

5. A DC coupled oscilloscope is attached to the output of the peak detector.

The 1 KHz AM detected wave appears with DC bias as shown in Figure 4. The
waveform is drawn and attached with your report.

12
CONCLUSION

Based on Kennedy and Davis, “Electronic Communication Systems”, 4th Edition,

McGraw-HILL, 1993:-

• A carrier is used to make the wavelength smaller for practical transmission and to
permit multiplexing.
• The spectrum is used to measure bandwidth (the range of frequencies) and the
efficiency (the power in the side-bands compared to the total power)
• Bandwidth can be predicted using BW = 2 fm where fm = the maximum
modulating frequency
• Efficiency depends only on the modulating index, m (the fraction of the carrier
you modulate by)
• AM is limited to 33% efficiency because the modulation index cannot be
increased to > 1.0 without introducing distortion in the receiver.

13