Amplitude Modulation

Amplitude modulation is defined as the change in the

amplitude of the carrier wave according to the
instantaneous amplitude of the modulating signal.

Modulation Index
Modulation index of amplitude modulation is defined as the
ratio of peak amplitude of modulating signal voltage to
peak amplitude of carrier voltage.
m= Vm / Vc
Amplitude Modulation
Equation of an AM Wave --

Vm
Vc A

t
The equation of a modulated voltage A
A = Vc  Vm sin mt

Vm
A = Vc (1  sinωm t)
Vc
A = Vc (1  m sinωm t) Where m is the modulation index
The instantaneous amplitude of a modulated wave
v = A sin c t
= Vc (1  m sinωm t) sin c t
= Vc sin c t + m Vc sinωm t . sin c t
this can be expanded using trignometric identity,
1
sin x . sin y = [ cos (x-y) - cos (x +y)]
2
mVc mVc
vam = Vc sin c t + cos(c  ωm )  cos(c +ωm )
2 2
Line spectrum of AM --

Vc C

LSB USB
mVc mVc
2 2

( fc  f m ) fc ( fc  f m )
Power relationships --
the total power of a modulated wave
2
Vrms
Pt = Pc + PLSB + PUSB {P=
R
2 2 2
Vcarr VLSB VUSB
= + +
R R R
2
 Vc 
2   Vc2
Pc =
Vcarr
=  2
=
R R 2R
Similarly,
2
 mVc 
 2 
 2 
2   m 2 Vc2
PLSB = PUSB =
VSB
=   =
R 2 2
R 8R
m Vc
=
4 2R
Substituting the values of Pc and PSB

Vc2 m2 Vc2 m 2 Vc2

Pt = + +
2R 4 2R 4 2R
m2 m2
Pt = Pc + Pc + Pc
4 4
Pt  m2 
= 1 + 
Pc  4 
 m2 
Pt = Pc  1 + 
 2 
Calculation of m from waveform --
 (E max -E min )
Em =
2
(E max -E min )
E c  (E max - E m ) = E max 
2
(E max + E min )
=
2

(E max -E min )
Em 2
m= =
Ec (E max + E min )
2
(E max -E min )
m =
(E max +E min )
Modulation by several sinewaves --

If the carrier is modulated by more than

a single sine waves, then the effective
modulation index is given by

mt = m12 + m 22 + m 32 + m 42 + ..........
Importance of high percentage of
modulation index --

m Pc kw Pusb w Psb w Pt kw

1 1 250 500 1.5

0.5 1 62.5 125 1.125

 Emitter Modulator :- Collector voltage v c

Vcc

Modulating Signal v m
R1 Rc
C2 vout

C1 Q1

RL

C3
R2 Re
vc ~

~ vm

AM envelope
vout
 Medium power collector Modulator
vm t
cc t
V

vm ~ T1
vc t

RFC

vout

Q1
ic
~ T2 t
vc

R1 C1

vout
t
Medium power collector Modulator
Vcc
Antenna vm t

vm ~ T1 Cm

vc
t
Crf
C1 T2

Q1
ic t
~
vc

R1 C2 CN
vout
t
High Power AM DSBFC Modulator (Simultaneous
base-collector modulator)
Partially modulated wave

Unmodulated carrier Antenna

voltage

Q2
T2
C1 Cc Rb

C2
T1 t
Q1 Rb
Cc
Q3
Fully
Modulated
C bp wave
C bp RFC RFC
b
Partially modulated wave p
T3
Modulating
voltage
Vcc
Comparison between Low level and High level modulation
• Low level modulation • High level modulation

• Modulation takes place in initial • Modulation takes place in final

stages of amplification. stage of amplification.
• Circuit has to handle low power. • Circuit has to handle high power
and is quite complex.
• Simplicity is the prime design • High efficiency and low distortion
requirement. are the prime design requirement
• Each amplifier after the modulator • Only the final stage must be able to
stage must be able to handle the handle the sideband and carrier
sideband and carrier power. Also power. Also it must have sufficient
it must have sufficient bandwidth. bandwidth.
• Linear class A amplifiers are used. • High efficiency class C amplifiers
are used,
• Transistors and op amps can be • Vacuum tubes and power
used.. transistors are used.
• Efficiency is lower than High level • Very high efficiency.
modulators.
Low level AM DSBFC Transmitter

RF Carrier Buffer Carrier

oscillator Amplifier driver
Antenna

Linear
Linear
Bandpass Intermediate Bandpass Coupling
Modulator Final
Filter Power filter network
amplifier
amplifier

Modulating Modulating
Buffer
Signal Preamplifier Signal
amplifier
source driver
High level AM DSBFC Transmitter

Carrier
RF Carrier Buffer Carrier
Power Antenna
oscillator Amplifier driver
amplifier

AM Modulator
And output Bandpass Coupling
Power filter network
amplifier

Modulating Modulating
Buffer
Signal Preamplifier Signal
amplifier
source driver
Carrier Suppression – Balanced Modulator

D1

Cb

AF in Out

Cb
RF in

D2
Balanced modulator- FET
D
v1 + v2
T1
G
S
ip1

Cb

AF in v2 Out
vo
Cb

ip2
RF in
v1
D
G T2
v1 - v2 S
 id1 = a + b( v1  v2 ) + c(v1  v 2 ) 2
id1 = a + b v1  bv2 + cv21  cv 2 2  2v1 v 2
id2 = a + b( v1 - v2 ) + c(v1 - v 2 ) 2
id2 = a + b v1  bv 2 + cv 21  cv 2 2  2v1 v 2
i1 = id1 - id2
i1 = 2bv2 - 4cv1v2
if v1  Vc sinωc t and v 2 = Vmsinωm t
i1 = 2bVmsinωm t - 4cVc Vm sinωc t sinωm t
The output voltage is proportional to this primary current.
vo = α i1
= 2αbVmsinωm t - 4cαVc Vm [ cos(ωc - ωm )t  cos(ωc + ωm )t]
vo = P sinωm t - Q cos(ωc - ωm )t  Q cos(ωc + ωm )t
SSB generation- Filter method

Crystal
oscillator SSB out to
Linear amplifier

Sideband
Balanced Balanced
Buffer Suppression
modulator mixer
filter

Filter
AF in Audio Crystal
for
amplifier oscillator
other sideband
SSB Generation phase shift method

AF
in Balanced
Audio Modulator
amplifier M1

Carrier
90 degree Adder
Phase shift

Carrier
source

AF 90 Balanced
Degree Modulator
Phase shift M2
The output of m1
v1 = cos[(ωc t + 90) - ωm t] - cos[(ωc t + 90) + ωm t]
= cos(ωc t - ωm t + 90) - cos(ωc t + ωm t + 90)

The output of m 2
v 2 = cos[ωc t -( ωm t + 90)] - cos[ωc t +( ωm t + 90) ]
= cos(ωc t - ωm t - 90) - cos(ωc t + ωm t + 90)

v o  v1  v 2  2cos(ωc t + ωm t + 90)
 SSBSC modulator :the “third method”

Balanced LPF 1 Balanced

Modulator ~ Modulator
1 ~ 3

90 phase RF carrier
Audio shift oscillator
Input f SSB
Linear out
f
Audio Summing
sub carrier Circuit
oscillator 90 phase
f shifter

Balanced LPF 2 Balanced

Modulator ~ Modulator
2 ~ 4
Channel A ISB transmitter: block diagram
A B
Input
95K A 100K 27.8 MHz
0 to 5 KHz 27.795 MHz 27.805 MHz

Balanced BPF A Hybrid

Modulator network A B
1 2795K 2805K
2800KHz

Balanced Balanced
100-KHZ Modulator BPF 3 Modulator BPF 4
LF osc. 3 4
Carrier
Reinsert
switch

Balanced 2.8-MHz 25-MHz

Modulator BPF B MF ocs. HF ocs.
2

A B
Channel B
input B Linear 95K 100K 105K
100K 105K summer
0 KHz- 5 KHz
 Vestigial Sideband Transmission

1 Picture carrier Sound carrier

Relative amplitude

0.5
Video upper sideband

0
1.25 Relative channel frequency 5.25 5.75
0.75MHz
4.5MHz
The Advantages of AM
1. The modulators and demodulators are very simple and
straightforward to build. This makes the cost of receivers very low and
therefore available to the majority of people.
2. AM requires only a very small bandwidth to transmit the same
information compared to FM where the bandwidth requirement is
significantly higher.
The Disadvantages of AM
1. All communication signals pick up interference and noise, and these
usually affect the amplitude of the carrier. In an AM system (where the
information is contained in the amplitude) the noise adds to the
information and thus pollutes it. It is virtually impossible to remove this
additional component unless the original signal is available for
comparison and this is hardly ever the case.
2. In AM transmissions a significant amount of the transmitted power is
contained within the carrier, which is eventually discarded at the
receiver. Only a limited amount (¼) of the original power is located in
the sideband where the information signal is located. This makes AM an
inefficient system.
 Comparison of AM systems
S.NO PARAMETER AM DSBSC SSB VSB

Carrier suppression No Yes Yes Yes

1.
Sideband suppression No No Yes, one sideband Yes, one sideband
2.
fully suppressed partially
suppressed

Transmission bandwidth 2fm 2fm fm fm + f v

3.
Transmission power Minimum Moderate Maximum Moderate
4. efficiency
(Requires more (Requires less (Requires lesser (Requires less
power) power) power) power)

5. Receiver design Simple and Complex and More complex Complex and
inexpensive expensive and expensive expensive

6. Applications Radio broadcast Point-to-point Long-distance Picture

communication communication transmission in TV