Amplitude Modulation

Modulation Index, Envelopes, Envelope Recovery

Prepared by: Keyur Desai

Department of Electrical Engineering
Michigan State University
ECE458 Spring 2007

Recall DSBSC

Double sideband suppressed carrier

In the spectrum no carrier

What is AM?

AM signal = DSBSC + Carrier

= m(t) cos(wt) + V cos(wt)
= (V + m(t)) cos(wt)
= V(1 + m(t)/V)cos(wt)
1 + m(t)/V > 0 => min{m(t)}/V > -1 => |min{m(t)}|<V
AM = amplitude modulation

In the message add DC

Add DC such that a(t) >= 0, then perfect recovery with a simple
demodulator

Spectrum of AM signal

Note the component at carrier frequency

Now you know why DSBSC was called suppressed carrier

What is Modulation index?

Proportion of negative change in the carrier amplitude

Amount of modulation is 0, because it's only carrier
Hence modulation index is also 0

What is Modulation index?

The minimum carrier amplitude is 0.75

When there is no signal the carrier amplitude is 3
Proportion of negative change in carrier amplitude = (3 0.75)/3=?
The modulation index = 0.75 = 75%

AM signal generation

AM signal generation

g + Gsin(ut)
g[1+ G/g sin(ut)]
Modulation index = G/g

Significance of modulation index

For m < 1 the boundary of AM signal has the shape of the message
For m > 1 not true
There are techniques that can extract the boundary and hence
recover the message: called envelope detection

How to measure modulation index

For simple signals like sin(ut) its easy to measure modulation index
For complicated signals like speech you have to use more
complicated techniques
One such technique is to use oscilloscope in X-Y mode
On X axis apply the message on Y axis apply the AM signal
Follow the procedure in the lab handout

The envelope of AM signal

AM signal =

The envelope of AM signal

AM signal =

The envelope of DSBSC signal

DSBSC = A [0 + m(t)] c(t)

a(t) = m(t)
e(t) = |m(t)|
Thats why envelope recovery cannot work on DSBSC signal
Then what is a good thing about DSBSC?

Types of signals

Narrowband (f2 f1) / (f2 + f1) << 1

Wideband (f2 f1) / (f2 + f1) >>1
Where f2 is the highest frequency component in the signal
Where f1 is the ???? frequency component in the signal

In Experiment 2 you will try to understand the how the envelopes of

wideband and narrowband signals look like

Demodulation

Also called envelope recovery in AM signal case

Recall:

How to get message back?

All you have to do is to extract the envelope

Demodulation

Ideal envelope detector

What is the circuit that gives the absolute value of the input
waveform?

Demodulation

How you do it in TIMS?

Demodulation

Didode detector

Effect of overmodulation

Spectra of AM