Data Services Unit 3 Modulation

Modulation
1. Why Modulate?......................................................................................2 2. Amplitude Modulation............................................................................3 3. Frequency Modulation...........................................................................5 3.1 Power in an FM Signal and Noise Immunity..........................................................5 4. Phase Modulation..................................................................................6 5. Frequency Bands...................................................................................7

Page 1 of 7

Data Services Unit 3 Modulation

1.

Why Modulate?

All audio signals occupy the same frequency band i.e. between 0 and 20 kHz. Before being broadcast an audio signal (speech or music) must be moved, or frequency translated to a specific frequency range in order to use the available frequency spectrum. To do this the audio signal (or modulating signal) modulates a much higher radio frequency (the carrier frequency). Each audio signal is assigned a carrier - defining a channel - so that it is possible for the receiver to discriminate between all the streams of signals coming in. There are 3 main reasons to modulate a signal on to a high frequency carrier 1. Audio is in the range approx. 30 - 20000 kHz. If an electromagnetic signal with a frequency of 30 Hz is transmitted it will have a wavelength of (speed of light /frequency) = 300,000/30 km = 10,000 km. To pick up this signal an aerial of size approx. 2,500 km will be required - impractical. If this signal is used to modulate a carrier of 1 MHz the wavelength will be 300,000/1,000,000 km = 300 m, and an aerial of 75 m will suffice. If the carrier is 100 MHz, the wavelength is 3 m and a 750 cm aerial is sufficient. 2. A large number of radio transmitters are trying to transmit at the same time. It is necessary for the receiver to pick up only the wanted signal and to reject the rest. One way to do to this is to assign a carrier with a known frequency to each transmitter, modulate this carrier with the signal, and then design the receiver to pick up only that known carrier frequency and reject the rest, using appropriate filtering methods. Then the original signal is removed from the received carrier. The same concept is used in carrying a large number of telephone conversations over a single pair of wires or optical fibre. 3. Using appropriate modulation techniques it is possible at the receiver to remove a lot of the noise and other distortions which the transmission medium would impose on the signal.

Page 2 of 7

Data Services Unit 3 Modulation

2.

Amplitude Modulation

Also known as ASK (amplitude shift keying). An AM signal is made up of a carrier (with constant frequency) in which its amplitude is changed (modulated) with respect to the signal (modulating signal) we wish to transmit (voice, music, data, binary). In the example below the carrier (a high frequency sine wave) is being modulated by a lower frequency sine wave. The modulating signal causes the carriers amplitude to change with time. This resulting shape of the carrier is called the envelope. Note the envelope has the shape of a sine wave.

Figure 2-1 AM signal

Figure 2-2 Modulating signal (sine wave) and modulated carrier

Page 3 of 7

Data Services Unit 3 Modulation

Figure 2-3 Modulating signal (Audio) and modulated carrier

Page 4 of 7

Data Services Unit 3 Modulation

3.

Frequency Modulation

Also known as FSK (frequency shift keying). This also uses a sinusoidal carrier. The frequency of the carrier is made to change in accordance with the characteristics of the modulating (audio) signal. The nominal value of the carrier frequency is the frequency it has when the instantaneous value of the modulating signal is 0V. When the instantaneous voltage of the modulating signal is high the carrier frequency increases; when the instantaneous voltage of the modulating signal is low the carrier frequency decreases. The size of the change in the carrier frequency at any instant is proportional to the value of the modulating signal at that instant.

3.1

Power in an FM Signal and Noise Immunity

The amplitude of an FM signal does not vary. Therefore the power in an FM signal is constant and is always equal to the power of the unmodulated carrier. The power does not depend in any way on the modulation. (Unlike AM). Every transmitted signal picks up noise between the transmitter and the receiver. Usually this noise adds to the amplitude of the signal. In the case of an AM signal the function of the radio receiver is to recover the envelope of the signal as this should be an exact copy of the original audio input. If noise changes the amplitude of the signal then the shape of the envelope has changed and the radio receiver will recover the noise - it will reproduce this as part of the audio signal. The noise will appear in the audio output. AM is susceptible to noise. In the case of FM the radio receiver does not depend on the amplitude of the envelope to recover the audio signal. If noise has changed the amplitude then the receiver will be able to ignore this. The noise will not be passed on to the audio output. FM is much less susceptible to noise than AM, it permits a much more accurate reproduction of the original audio signal.

Page 5 of 7

Data Services Unit 3 Modulation

4.

Phase Modulation

BPSK (Binary phase shift keying) is the simplest form of PSK (phase shift keying). It uses two phases which are separated by 180 and so can also be termed 2-PSK. To represent 1s and 0s the phase of the signal is shifted.

Page 6 of 7

Data Services Unit 3 Modulation

5.

Frequency Bands
30 kHz to 300 kHz 300 kHz to 3 MHz 3 MHz to 30 MHz 30 MHz to 300 MHz 300 MHz to 3 GHz

Long Wave (Low Frequency) (LW) Medium Wave (Medium Frequency) Short Wave (High Frequency) (SW) Very High Frequency (VHF) Ultra High Frequency (UHF)

Page 7 of 7