COMMUNICATION SYSTEM LABORATORY

EXPERIMENT 2: AMPLITUDE MODULATION

A. OBJECTIVE OF EXPERIMENT
1. Investigates the generation and reception of double sideband amplitude modulated (AM)
waveforms
B. EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
1. Emona Telecoms Trainer 101
2. Oscilloscope and Patch leads
3. Dual Channel Oscilloscope
C. SUMMARY OF THEORY
In an amplitude modulation (AM) communications system, speech and music are converted into an
electrical signal using a device such as a microphone. This electrical signal is called the message or
baseband signal. The message signal is then used to electrically vary the amplitude of a pure sinewave
called the carrier. The carrier usually has a frequency that is much higher than the messages
frequency. Figure 1 below shows a simple message signal and an unmodulated carrier. It also shows
the result of amplitude modulating the carrier with the message. Notice that the modulated carriers
amplitude varies above and below its unmodulated amplitude.

Figure 1 Message, Unmodulated Carrier and AM Signal

Figure 2 below shows the AM signal at the bottom of Figure 1 but with a dotted line added to track the
modulated carriers positive peaks and negative peaks. These dotted lines are known in the industry as
the signals envelopes. If you look at the envelopes closely youll notice that the upper envelope is the
same shape as the message. The lower envelope is also the same shape but upside-down (inverted).

Figure 2 Amplitude Modulated Signal

COMMUNICATION SYSTEM LABORATORY

In telecommunications theory, the mathematical model that defines the AM signal is:
AM = (DC + message) the carrier

When the message is a simple sinewave (like in Figure 1) the equations solution (which necessarily
involves some trigonometry that is not shown here) tells us that the AM signal consists of three
sinewaves:
One at the carrier frequency
One with a frequency equal to the sum of the carrier and message frequencies
One with a frequency equal to the difference between the carrier and message frequencies
In other words, for every sinewave in the message, the AM signal includes a pair of sinewaves one
above and one below the carriers frequency. Complex message signals such as speech and music are
made up of thousands sinewaves and so the AM signal includes thousands of pairs of sinewaves
straddling carrier. These two groups of sinewaves are called the sidebands and so AM is known as
double-sideband, full carrier (DSBFC). Importantly, its clear from this discussion that the AM signal
doesnt consist of any signals at the message frequency. This is despite the fact that the AM signals
envelopes are the same shape as the message.
D. PROCEDURE
Part A. Generating an AM signal using simple message
1. Setup the oscilloscope per instruction as following:
The trigger source control is set to CH1 position
The mode control is set to CH1 position
The input coupling of CH1 is set to DC position
2.

The setup in Figure 3 implements the equation: AM = (1VDC + 1Vp-p 2kHz sine) --- ---------- (1)
Insert the black
plugs of the
oscilloscope
leads into a
ground (GND)
socket

1. Locate the adder

module and turn its
G and g controls
fully anti-clockwise
2. Turns g control
clockwise until DC
level is 1V
3. Turns G control
clockwise to obtain 1
Vp-p sinewave

1. Locate the variable

DCV module and
turn its DC voltage
control almost fully
anti-clockwise

Figure 3 Implementing the Equation (1)

COMMUNICATION SYSTEM LABORATORY

3.

The setup in Figure 4 implements equation: AM = (1VDC + 1Vp-p 2kHz sine) 4Vp-p 100kHz sine. --- (2)

Figure 4 Implementing the Equation (2)

4. Set the scopes Mode control to dual position and vertical attenuation control to 1V/div position.
5. Save the Message and AM signal waveforms.
Part B. Investigating depth of modulation
1. Vary the message signals amplitude a little by turning Adder modules G control left as well as
right and notice the effect on the AM signal
Student probably noticed that the size of the message signal and the modulation of the carrier are
proportional. That is, as the messages amplitude goes up, the amount of the carriers modulation
goes up.
The extent that a message modulates a carrier is known in the industry as the modulation index
(m). Modulation index is an important characteristic of an AM signal for several reasons including
calculating the distribution of the signals power between the carrier and sidebands.
Figure 5 below shows two key dimensions of an amplitude modulated carrier. These two
dimensions allow a carriers modulation index to be calculated.

Figure 5 AM Signal

2. Adjust the Adder modules G control to return the message signals amplitude to 1Vp-p.
3. Measure and record the AM signals P dimension. Record your measurement.
4. Measure and record the AM signals Q dimension.
5. Calculate and record the AM signals depth of modulation using the equation as below.

m=

P -Q
P +Q

COMMUNICATION SYSTEM LABORATORY

A problem that is important to avoid in AM transmission is over-modulation. When the carrier is

over-modulated, it can upset the receivers operation.
6. Increase the message signals amplitude to maximum by turning the Adder modules G control
fully clockwise and notice the effect on the AM signal.
7. Use the scopes Channel 1 Vertical Position control to overlay the message with the AM signals
envelopes and compare them.
8. Save the overlaid waveforms.
Part C. Recovering the message using an envelope detector
Recovering the original message from a modulated carrier is called demodulation and this is the main
purpose of communications and telecommunications receivers. The circuit that is widely used to
demodulate AM signals is called an envelope detector. The block diagram of an envelope detector is
shown in Figure 6 below.

RC
LPF

Rectifier

AM signal

Recovered
message

Rectified AM signal

Figure 6

The rectifier stage chops the AM signal in half letting only one of its envelopes through (the upper
envelope in this case but the lower envelope is just as good). This signal is fed to an RC LPF which
tracks the peaks of its input. When the input to the RC LPF is a rectified AM signal, it tracks the
signals envelope. Importantly, as the envelope is the same shape as the message, the RC LPFs output
voltage is also the same shape as the message and so the AM signal is demodulated.
A limitation of envelope detector shown in Figure 1 is that it cannot accurately recover the message
from over-modulated AM signals. To explain, recall that when an AM carrier is over-modulated the
signals envelope is no-longer the same shape as the original message. Instead, the envelope is distorted
and so, by definition, this means that the envelope detector must produce a distorted version of the
message.
1. Modify the setup as shown in Figure 3 and 4. The additional setup can be represented by the block
diagram in Figure 7.
To Ch.2
AM
signal

Rectifier

RC LPF

Figure 7 Additional Setup

2. Save the Amplitude modulated and demodulated signal waveforms

Demodulated
AM signal

COMMUNICATION SYSTEM LABORATORY

E.

RESULTS AND CALCULATION

1. Message and AM Signal Waveforms
2. Modulation Index/Depth of Modulation
3. Percentage Modulation
4. Over-modulated Signal Waveform
5. Amplitude Modulated and Demodulated Waveforms