‫ِبسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم‬

International University of Africa (I.U.A)

Faculty of Engineering
Electronic & Electrical Department

Communication - 1
1 - ‫إإلتصاالت‬
Semester -7

Lecture-2/ Amplitude Modulation

Instructor name: Mussaab I. Niass

2023

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 Lecture agenda
 Amplitude modulation
1. AM concepts
2. Modulation index and percentage
3. Side bands and spectrum domain
4. AM power
5. Transmitter Efficiency

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Next Amplitude Modulation A.M
‫تعديل أإلتساع‬

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 AM Concepts

 In the modulation process, the voice, video, or digital signal

modifies another signal called the carrier.
 In amplitude modulation (AM) the information signal varies the
amplitude of the carrier sine wave.
 The instantaneous value of the carrier amplitude changes in
accordance with the amplitude and frequency variations of the
modulating signal.
 An imaginary line called the envelope connects the positive and
negative peaks of the carrier waveform.
 AM Concepts

Figure 1:Amplitude modulation. (a) The modulating or information signal.

 AM Concepts

Figure 2: Amplitude modulation. (b) The modulated carrier.

 AM Concepts
 In AM, it is particularly important that the peak value of the
modulating signal be less than the peak value of the carrier.
Vm < V c
 Distortion occurs when the amplitude of the modulating signal is
greater than the amplitude of the carrier.
 A modulator is a circuit used to produce AM. Amplitude
modulators compute the product of the carrier and modulating
signals.
 AM Concepts

Figure 3: Amplitude modulator showing input and output signals.

 Modulation Index and Percentage
of Modulation
 The modulation index (m) is a value that describes the relationship
between the amplitude of the modulating signal and the amplitude
of the carrier signal.
m = Vm / V c
 This index is also known as the modulating factor or coefficient,
or the degree of modulation.
 Multiplying the modulation index by 100 gives the percentage of
modulation.
 Modulation Index and Percentage
of Modulation cont.
Over-modulation and Distortion
 The modulation index should be a number between 0 and 1.
 If the amplitude of the modulating voltage is higher than the carrier
voltage, m will be greater than 1, causing distortion.
 If the distortion is great enough, the intelligence signal becomes
unintelligible.

 Distortion of voice transmissions produces harsh, or unnatural sounds

in the speaker.
 Distortion of video signals produces a scrambled and inaccurate picture
on a TV screen.
 Modulation Index and Percentage
of Modulation

Figure 4: Distortion of the envelope caused by overmodulation where the

modulating signal amplitude Vm is greater than the carrier signal Vc.
 Modulation Index and Percentage
of Modulation
Percentage of Modulation
 The modulation index is commonly computed from measurements taken on
the composite modulated waveform.
 Using oscilloscope voltage values:

Vmax − Vmin
Vm =
2

 The amount, or depth, of AM is then expressed as

the percentage of modulation (100 × m) rather
than as a fraction.
 Modulation Index and Percentage
of Modulation

Figure 5: AM wave showing peaks (Vmax) and troughs (Vmin).

 Sidebands and
the Frequency Domain
 Side frequencies, or sidebands are generated as part of the
modulation process and occur in the frequency spectrum directly
above and below the carrier frequency.
 Sidebands and
the Frequency Domain

Figure 6: The AM wave is the

algebraic sum of the carrier and
upper and lower sideband sine
waves. (a) Intelligence or
modulating signal. (b) Lower
sideband. (c ) Carrier. (d ) Upper
sideband. (e ) Composite AM
wave.
 Sidebands and
the Frequency Domain
Sideband Calculations
 Single-frequency sine-wave modulation generates two
sidebands.
 Complex wave (e.g. voice or video) modulation generates
a range of sidebands.
 The upper sideband (fUSB) and the lower sideband (fLSB) are
calculated:
fUSB = fc + fm and fLSB = fc − fm
 3-3: Sidebands and
the Frequency Domain
Frequency-Domain Representation of AM
 Observing an AM signal on an oscilloscope, you see only amplitude
variations of the carrier with respect to time.
 A plot of signal amplitude versus frequency is referred to as
frequency-domain display.
 A spectrum analyzer is used to display the frequency domain as a
signal.
 Bandwidth is the difference between the upper and lower sideband
frequencies.
BW = fUSB−fLSB
 Sidebands and
the Frequency Domain

Figure 7: The relationship between the time and frequency domains.

 Sidebands and
the Frequency Domain
Frequency-Domain Representation of AM
 Example:
A standard AM broadcast station is allowed to transmit
modulating frequencies up to 5 kHz. If the AM station is
transmitting on a frequency of 980 kHz, what are sideband
frequencies and total bandwidth?
fUSB = 980 + 5 = 985 kHz
fLSB = 980 – 5 = 975 kHz
BW = fUSB – fLSB = 985 – 975 = 10 kHz
BW = 2 (5 kHz) = 10 kHz
 Sidebands and
the Frequency Domain
Pulse Modulation
 When complex signals such as pulses or rectangular waves modulate a
carrier, a broad spectrum of sidebands is produced.
 A modulating square wave will produce sidebands based on the
fundamental sine wave as well as the third, fifth, seventh, etc.
harmonics.
 Sidebands and
the Frequency Domain

Figure 9: Frequency spectrum of an AM signal modulated by a square wave.

 AM Power
 In radio transmission, the AM signal is amplified by a power
amplifier.
 A radio antenna has a characteristic impedance that is ideally almost
pure resistance.
 The AM signal is a composite of the carrier and sideband signal
voltages.
 Each signal produces power in the antenna.
 Total transmitted power (PT) is the sum of carrier power (Pc ) and
power of the two sidebands (PUSB and PLSB).
 AM Power
 When the percentage of modulation is less than the optimum 100,
there is much less power in the sidebands.
 Output power can be calculated by using the formula
PT = (IT)2R
where IT is measured RF current and R is antenna impedance
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 carrier is
( V c / √2 )2 V c
2

Pc = =
R 2R

Pc = carrier power (watts)

Vc = peak carrier voltage (volts)
R = load resistance i.e antenna (ohms)
Cont’d

 The upper and lower sideband powers will be

2 2
( mV c /2 ) m Vc 2

P us = P lsb = =
b
2R 8R
 Rearranging in terms of Pc,

( )
Vc
2 2
m m
2

P us = Plsb = = Pc
b
4 2R 4
 Cont’d…

 The total power in an AM wave is

P t = P c + P usb + P lsb
 Substituting the sidebands powers in terms of PC yields

m2 m2
Pt = Pc + Pc + Pc
4 4
m2 m2
= Pc + Pc = P c [ 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
 Transmitter Efficiency

Transmitter efficiency,
‫ = תּ‬average power from sideband / total power absorbed.
= m²/ ( 2+m² )
 Cont’d…
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 4 (H.W)
 For an AM DSBFC wave with a peak unmodulated carrier
voltage Vc = 10 Vp, a load resistor of RL = 10  and m = 1,
determine
a) Powers of the carrier and the upper and lower sidebands.
b) Total sideband power.
c) Total power of the modulated wave.
d) Draw the power spectrum.
Givens:

Peak unmodulated carrier voltage (Vc) = 10 Vp

Load resistor (RL) = 10 Ω

Modulation index (m) = 1

a) Powers of the carrier and the upper and lower sidebands:

Pc = (Vc^2) / (2RL)
Pc = 5 W (power of the carrier wave)
Substituting the given values:
Pu = Pl = (Vc^2 * m^2) / (8RL)
Pc = (10^2) / (2 * 10) = 100 / 20 = 5 W
= (10^2 * 1^2) / (8 * 10)

= 100 / 80

= 1.25 W

The powers of the upper and lower sidebands are both 1.25 W.
b) Total sideband power:

Ps = Pu + Pl
= 1.25 W + 1.25 W
= 2.5 W
The total sideband power is 2.5 W.

c) Total power of the modulated wave:

Ptotal = Pc + Ps
= 5 W + 2.5 W
= 7.5 W

The total power of the modulated wave is 7.5 W.

d) for the graph check the example and label the calculated
values.
End of lecture two
Thank you ….

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