AMPLITUDE MODULATION

(AM)

Objectives
To describe the principles of AM
To define and analyze the modulation index
To analyze the spectral analysis and

bandwidth calculation
To analyze the power distribution of AM

Lecture overview
Principles of amplitude modulation (AM)
Modulation index
Spectral analysis and bandwidth calculation
Power analysis of AM

Principles of AM
Definitions:
The process of changing the amplitude of a

relatively high frequency carrier signal in

proportion with the instantaneous value of
modulating signal (information)
A process of translating information signal
from low band frequency to high band
frequency.

Contd
Information signal cannot travel far. It needs

carrier signal of higher frequency for long

distance destination.
Inexpensive, low quality form of modulation

Contd
Amplitude of the carrier signal varies with

the information signal.

The modulated signal consist of carrier
signal, upper sideband and lower sideband
signals
The modulated AM signal (figure 1 & figure
2) needs to go through demodulation
process to get back the information signal.

Contd

The AM Envelope

AM double-sideband full carrier (AM DSBFC) is

the most commonly used and the oldest and

simplest form of AM modulation.
Sometimes called conventional AM or simply
AM.
The outline of the positive and negative peaks
of the carrier frequency re-create the exact
shape of the modulating signal known as
envelope.
Note that the repetition rate of the envelope is
equal to the frequency of the modulating
signal.

The Generation of AM
Envelope

AM Frequency Spectrum and

Bandwidth
An AM modulator is a non-linear device.
Nonlinear mixing results in a complex output

envelope consists of the carrier frequency

and the sum (fc + fm) and difference (fc fm)
frequencies (called cross-products).
The cross-products are displaced from the
carrier frequency by fm on both sides of it.
AM modulated wave contains no frequency

component of fm.

Frequency spectrum of an AM
DSBFC Wave

Bandwidth (BW)
The BW of an AM DSBFC wave is equal to the

difference between the highest upper side

frequency and lowest lower side frequency:
BW = [fc + fm(max)] [fc fm(max)]
= 2fm(max)
For efficiency transmission the carrier and
sidebands must be high enough to be
propagated thru earths atmosphere.

Example 1
For a conventional AM modulator with a

a)
b)
c)

d)

carrier freq of fc = 100 kHz and the

maximum modulating signal frequency of
fm(max = 5 kHz, determine:
Freq limits for the upper and lower
sidebands.
Bandwidth.
Upper and lower side frequencies produced
when the modulating signal is a single-freq
3-kHz tone.
Draw the output freq spectrum.

Modulation Index and Percent of

Modulation
Used to describe the amount of amplitude

change (modulation) present in an AM

waveform.
Percentage modulation (%m) is simply the
modulation index (m) stated as a
percentage.
More specifically percent modulation gives
the percentage change in the amplitude of
the output wave when the carrier is acted on
by a modulating signal.

Contd
Mathematically, the modulation index is
m = modulation index
Em = peak change in the amplitude output
waveform (sum of voltages from upper and
lower side frequencies)

E
E

Ec = peak amplitude of the unmodulated

carrier

And the percentage of modulation index is

E
%m
x 100%
E
m

Determining modulation index from

Vmax and Vmin

Contd
If the modulating signal is a pure, single-

freq sine wave and the process is

symmetrical then the modulation index
1
can be derived as follows:
E (V V )
2
1
E (V V )
2

Therefore,

max

max

min

min

1
(Vm ax Vm in )
(V Vm in )
2
m
m ax
1
(Vmax Vm in )
(Vm ax Vm in )
2

Contd
Since the peak change of modulated

output wave Em is the sum of the usf

and lsf voltages hence,
E E E
m

usf

where E E

lsf

usf

Then
1
(V V )
E
E E
2
2
2
1
(V V )
4
max

usf

lsf

max

min

min

lsf

Eusf = peak amplitude

of the upperside
frequency (volts)
Elsf = peak amplitude
of the lower side
frequency (volts)

Contd
From the modulated wave displayed in the

previous slide, the maximum and minimum

values of the envelope occurs at
+Vmax = Ec + Eusb + Elsb
+Vmin = Ec Eusb Elsb
-Vmax = -Ec - Eusb - Elsb
-Vmin = -Ec + Eusb + Elsb

Modulation Index for

trapezoidal patterns
Modulation index, m can be calculated

using the equation:

m = Emax Emin/ Emax + Emin
= Em / Ec
= (A - B) / (A + B)

Contd

% modulation of AM DSBFC
envelope

Contd
For proper AM operation, Ec > Em means that

0 m 1.
If Ec < Em means that m > 1 leads to severe
distortion of the modulate wave.
If Vc = Vm the percentage of modulation index
goes to 100%, means the maximum
information signal is transmitted. In this case,
Vmax = 2Vc and Vmin = 0.

Example 2
Suppose that Vmax value read from the

graticule on an oscilloscope screen is 4.6

divisions and Vmin is 0.7 divisions. Calculate
the modulation index and percentage of
modulation.

Example 3
For the AM waveform shown in Figure
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

below, determine
Peak amplitude of the upper and lower side
frequencies.
Peak amplitude of the unmodulated carrier.
Peak change in the amplitude of the
envelope.
Modulation index.
Percent modulation.

AM Envelope for Example

3

The Mathematical
Representation and Analysis
of
AM both the modulating signal V (t) and the
Representing
m

carrier signal Vc(t) in trigonometric functions.

The AM DSBFC modulator must be able to produce

mathematical multiplication of these two analog signals

Contd
Substituting Vm = mVc gives:
v am (t ) [Vc mVc sin (2f m t )] sin (2f c t )
[1 m sin (2f m t )] Vc sin (2f c t )

Constant +
mod. signal

Unmodulated
carrier

Contd
The constant in the first term produces the

carrier freq while the sinusoidal component in

the first term produces side bands frequencies
v (t ) V sin (2f t ) [mV sin (2f t )] [sin (2f t )]
am

V sin (2f t )
c

Carrier frequency
signal (volts)

mV
cos [2 ( f f )t ]
2
c

mV
cos [2 ( f f )t ]
2

Lower side frequency

signal (volts)

Upper side frequency

signal (volts)

Contd
From the equation it is obvious that the

amplitude of the carrier is unaffected by the

modulation process.
The amplitude of the side frequencies depend
on the both the carrier amplitude and
modulation index.
At 100% modulation the amplitudes of side
frequencies are each equal to one-half the
amplitude of the carrier.

Generation of AM DSBFC envelope

showing the time-domain of the
modulated wave, carrier&sideband
signals

Voltage spectrum for an AM DSBFC

wave

Example 4

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

One input to a conventional AM modulator is a

500-kHz carrier with an amplitude of 20 V p. The
second input is a 10-kHz modulating signal that is
of sufficient amplitude to cause a change in the
output wave of 7.5 Vp. Determine
Upper and lower side frequencies.
Modulation index and percentage modulation.
Peak amplitude of the modulated carrier and the
upper and lower side frequency voltages.
Maximum and minimum amplitudes of the
envelope.
Expression for the modulated wave.

AM Power
Distribution
In any electrical circuit, the power

dissipated is equal to the voltage

squared (rms) divided by the
resistance.
Mathematically power in
unmodulated
2
(Vc / 2 ) 2 Vc
Pc

carrier is
R
2R
Pc = carrier power (watts)
Vc = peak carrier voltage (volts)
R = load resistance i.e antenna (ohms)

Contd
The upper and lower sideband

powers will be
2
2
2
(mV c / 2)
m Vc
Pus b Plsb

2R
8R
Rearranging in terms of Pc,
2
2
m Vc
m2
Pus b Plsb

P
c

4 2R
4

Contd
The total power in an AM wave is

Pt Pc Pusb Plsb

Substituting the sidebands powers in terms of PC

yields

m2
m2
Pt Pc
Pc
Pc
4
4
m2
m2
Pc
Pc Pc [1
]
2
2

Since carrier power in modulated wave is the

same as unmodulated wave, obviously power of

the carrier is unaffected by modulation process.

Power spectrum for AM DSBFC wave

with a single-frequency modulating
signal

Contd
With 100% modulation the maximum

power in both sidebands equals to one-half

the carrier power.
One of the most significant disadvantage
of AM DSBFC is with m = 1, the efficiency
of transmission is only 33.3% of the total
transmitted signal. The less wasted in the
carrier which brings no information signal.
The advantage of DSBFC is the use of
relatively simple, inexpensive demodulator
circuits in the receiver.

Example 5
For an AM DSCFC wave with a peak

a)
b)
c)
d)

unmodulated carrier voltage Vc = 10 Vp, a

load resistor of RL = 10 and m = 1,
determine
Powers of the carrier and the upper and
lower sidebands.
Total sideband power.
Total power of the modulated wave.
Draw the power spectrum.

Transmitter Efficiency
Transmitter efficiency,
= average power from sideband/total
power absorbed.
= m/ ( 2+m )

Modulation by a complex
information
signal
Previous examples are all using a single frequency
modulation signal. In practice, however, modulating signal is
very often a complex waveform made up from many sine
waves with different amplitudes and frequencies.
Example: if a modulating signal contains three
frequencies(fm1, fm2, fm3), the modulated signal will contain
the carrier and three sets of side frequencies, spaced
symmetrically about the carrier:
mV
mV
mV
v (t ) V sin (2f t )
cos [2 ( f f )t ]
cos [2 ( f f )t ]
cos [2 ( f f )t ]
2
2
2
mV
mV
mV

cos [2 ( f f )t ]
cos [2 ( f f )t ]
cos [2 ( f f )t ]
2
2
2
c

am

m1

m2

m1

m3

m3

m2

Contd..frequency spectrum
for complex information
signal

Fc-fm3 Fc-fm2

Fc-fm1

fc

Fc+fm1Fc+fm2 Fc+fm3

Contd..modulation index for

complex information signal
When several frequencies simultaneously

amplitude modulate a carrier, the

combined coefficient of modulation is
defined as:
2
2
2
2

m m m m ... m
t

mt=total modulation index/coefficient of modulation

m1, m2, m3, mn= modulation index/coefficient of
modulation for input 1, 2 ,3 , n

Contd..Power calculation for

complex information signal
The combined coefficient of modulation can

be used to determine the total sideband

power and transmitted power, using:

Pm
P P
4
Pm
P
2
m

P P 1

usbt

lsbt

sbt

Example 6

For an AM DSBFC transmitter with an unmodulated carrier

power, Pc= 100W that is modulated simultaneously by
three modulating signals, with coefficients of modulation
m1=0.2, m2= 0.4, m3=0.3, determine:

a)

Total coefficient of modulation

Upper and lower sideband power
Total transmitted power

b)
c)

Low Level AM Transmitter

High Level AM
Transmitter

At the end of this

chapter, you should be
able
To describe the principles of AM
To define and analyze the modulation

index
To analyze the spectral analysis and
bandwidth calculation
To analyze the power distribution of AM