CME312- LAB Manual SSB Modulation and Demodulation Experiment 7

Experiment 7
Experiment 2
SSB Modulation and Demodulation

Objectives :

By the end of this experiment, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate the modulation and demodulation process of SSB.

2. Deal with phase shift splitter (QPS).

Introduction:
Single sideband (SSB) is a common analog modulation scheme for voice communications. With
SSB only one sideband(either the upper USB or the lower LSB ) is present in the modulated carrier.
That is acceptable because the two sidebands contain the same information, so the elimination of
one sideband does not cause a loss of information. SSB uses radio spectrum efficiently: for a given
message signal, only half as much bandwidth is occupied by the modulated carrier (compared with
DSB or AM). SSB is used for amateur (ham) radio, citizens’ band (CB) radio, and short-wave
broadcasting.

There is more than one way to generate SSB carriers. One method is to use a DSB modulator and
then eliminate one sideband (either the lower or the upper) with a filter. That method is conceptually
simple but has a significant drawback. The filter can be challenging to design: it must have a quite
sharp roll-off that will pass the one sideband but reject the other sideband that is just the other side
of the carrier frequency. In the present experiments SSB carriers will be generated by a different
method. The method employed here is known as the phasing method, and it incorporates a Hilbert
transform.

Hilbert Transform
In general, a signal m(t) has a Hilbert transform ,in a Hilbert transform, both the input and
the output are in the time domain. This is unlike the Fourier transform, for which the input is in the
time domain and the output is the frequency domain description of the input. The Hilbert transform
is a linear, time-invariant system. If the input is a sinusoid, the output is also a sinusoid of the same
frequency. For a sinusoidal input, the output has a phase that is less than that of the input by
radians.

The amplitude is unchanged between input and output Here is an examples:

Cos(2π t) Cos(2π t - )= Sin (2π t)

Hilbert
Transform
Sin(2π t) = Sin(2π
Cos(2πt - t) ) = Cos(2π t)

= Cos(2π t)
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CME312- LAB Manual SSB Modulation and Demodulation Experiment 7

Quadrature Phase Splitter (QPS)

The Hilbert transform that will be used in these experiments is incorporated into a module called the
Quadrature Phase Splitter.

Figure 1. QPS Module

This module has two inputs and two outputs. If the two inputs are connected together (as they will
be in the SSB modulator) then the difference in phase between the second and first outputs is
radians. That is to say, with the two inputs of the Quadrature Phase Splitter connected together, the
second output is the Hilbert transform of the first output.

Single Sideband Generation Using Phasing model :

The phasing method of SSB generation is based on the addition of two DSBSC signals, so phased
that their upper sidebands (say) are identical in phase and amplitude, whilst their lower sidebands
are of similar amplitude but opposite phase. The two out-of-phase sidebands will cancel if added;
alternatively the in-phase sidebands will cancel if subtracted.
The principle of the SSB phasing generator in illustrated in Figure 1. Notice that there are two
phase changers.

The SSB modulated signal is defined as:

S(t)= m(t).Cos(2π t) ± .Sin(2π )……………………………………………….(1)

Where:
is the Carrier frequency parameter.
is the Hilbert transform of the message signal m( t ).
The minus sign indicates the upper sideband and the plus sign indicates the lower sideband.

If we consider the message signal m(t) is equal to Cos(2π t) then equation 1 will be defined as:

S(t)= Cos(2π t) . Cos(2π t) ± Sin(2π ) . Sin(2π )…………………………..…(2)

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CME312- LAB Manual SSB Modulation and Demodulation Experiment 7

SSB Generation Block diagram :

A block diagram, showing how equation (2) could be modelled with hardware, is shown
in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2. SSB Generator Block Diagram

The wideband phase splitter consists of two complementary networks - say I (In phase) and Q
(Quadrature). When each network is fed from the same input signal the phase difference between
the two outputs is maintained at . Note that the phase difference between the common input and
either of the outputs is not specified; it is not independent of frequency.

SSB Demodulation using phasing method:

We will use the phasing type demodulator, block diagrams of which are shown in Figure 3 The 90
degree phase shifter in the lower - Q - arm of the structure (left block) needs to introduce a 90
degree phase shift over all frequencies of interest. In this case these are those of the message. Such a
‘filter’ is difficult to realize. A practical solution is the Quadrature phase splitter - QPS - shown in
the right block.

This maintains a 90 degree shift between its outputs, although the phase difference between one
input and either output varies with frequency. This variation is acceptable when the message is
speech. Note that ideally there should be identical low pass filters in each multiplier output. In
practice a single low pass filter is inserted in the summing output.

The practical advantage of this is a saving of components (modules). One disadvantage of this is
that the QPS will be presented with larger-than-necessary signals at its inputs - the unwanted sum
frequency components as well as the wanted difference frequency components. Unwanted
components increase the risk of overload.

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CME312- LAB Manual SSB Modulation and Demodulation Experiment 7

Figure 3. SSB Demodulator Block Diagram

Spectral Analysis :
Based on equation 2 the spectrum of USB and LSB modulated signals will be as shown in figure 4.

Figure 4. The spectrum of USB and LSB modulated signals

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CME312- LAB Manual SSB Modulation and Demodulation Experiment 7

Lab Work:
This experiment consists of two parts. In Part I we generate the SSB signal using single-tone
message signal. In Part II we demodulate the signal.

Modules :

The following plug-in modules will be needed to run this experiment: Audio Oscillator, Multiplier,
QPS ,Tunable LPF, Phase Shifter.

Part l: SSB Generation

Procedure:

1. Construct The block diagram of Figure 2, which models the SSB generation block diagram,
by using TIMS as shown in figure 5.

Figure 5. The TIMS Model of The Block Diagram of Figure 2.

Note:

In the TIMS model we discard the phase shifter because the Master Signal has internal phase
shifterbut we have used the phase shifter to provide minus sign at the second output of the adder
(in other word convert the adder to subtractor) .
2. Use the Frequency Counter to set the Audio Oscillator to about 2 kHz.
3. Set the adder gains fully clockwise.
4. Switch the Scope Selector to CH1-A and CH2-A.
5. Use the Oscilloscope to Plot the waveforms of the input signal , and the carrier signal, in
you lab sheets.
6. Use the PicoScope to plot the spectrum of SSB Signal in you lab sheets.
7. Switch the Phase Shifter to ,then repeat point 5.
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CME312- LAB Manual SSB Modulation and Demodulation Experiment 7

Part ll: SSB Regeneration

1. Construct The block diagram of Figure 3, which models the SSB Regeneration block
diagram, by using TIMS as shown in figure 6.

Figure 6. The TIMS Model of The Block Diagram of Figure 3

1. Switch the Scope Selector to CH1-A and CH2-B.

2. Observe the signal in time and frequency domains before and after the LPF simultaneously.
3. Vary the cutoff frequency of the LPF, and find the range of acceptable values for best
recovery of the message.
4. Plot, in time, the best recovered signal you can obtain in your lab sheets.

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