Tutorial - 4

ECC 201: Fundamental of Communication Systems

1. Sketch s AM (t) = [ A + m(t)] cos(2π f c t) for the triangle signal m(t) shown in Fig. 1 corresponding to the
four values of modulation index: i ) µ = 0.5, ii ) µ = 1.0, iii ) µ = 1.5, and iv) µ = ∞. Assume f c ≫ f m
and comment your observations.

Figure 1: The triangle signal m(t).

2. For the AM signal in Problem 1 with µ = 0.8:

(a) Find the amplitude and the power of the carrier.
(b) Find the sideband power and the power efficiency.

3. [Square-law modulator]: Fig. 2 shows the circuit diagram of a square-law modulator. The signal
applied to the nonlinear device is relatively weak, such that it can be represented by a square law:

v2 (t) = av1 (t) + bv21 (t)

where a and b are constants, v1 (t) is the input voltage, and v2 (t) is the output voltage. The input voltage
is defined by:

v1 (t) = m(t) + Ac cos(2π f c t)t

(a) Evaluate the output voltage v2 (t).

(b) Specify the frequency response that the tuned circuit in Fig. 2 must satisfy in order to generate an
AM signal with f c as the carrier frequency.
(c) What is the amplitude sensitivity of this AM signal?
 Figure 2: The circuit diagram of a square-law modulator.

4. The AM signal:

s(t) = Ac [1 + k a m(t)] cos 2π f c t

is applied to the system shown in Fig. 3. Assuming that |k a m(t)| < 1 for all t and the message signal
m(t) is limited to the interval − B ≤ f ≤ B, and that the carrier frequency f c > 2B, show that m(t) can
be obtained from the square-rooter output v3 (t).

Figure 3: Non-linear modulator.

5. For each of the following baseband signal: i ) m(t) = cos 1000t; ii ) m(t) = cos 1000t + cos 2000t; iii )
m(t) = cos 1000t cos 3000t
(a) Sketch the spectrum of m(t)
(b) Sketch the spectrum of DSB-SC signal m(t) cos 10000t.
(c) Identify the upper sideband (USB) and upper sideband (LSB) spectra.
(d) Identify the frequencies in the baseband, and the corresponding frequencies in the DSB-SC, USB
and, LSB spectra. Explain the nature of frequency shifting in each case.
(e) From the spectrum obtained in (b), suppress the LSB spectrum to obtain the USB spectrum.
(f) Knowing the USB spectrum in (b), write the expression of sUSB (t) for the USB signal.

6. [Ring modulator]: Fig. 4 shows the circuit details of the ring modulator. Assume that the diodes are
identical and the transformers are perfectly balanced. Let R denote the terminating resistance at the
input end and output end of the modulator (assuming ideal 1:1 transformers). Determine the output
voltage of the modulator for each of the two conditions described in Fig. 5 and 6. Hence, show that
these two output voltages are equal in magnitude and opposite in polarity.

Page 2
 Figure 4: The circuit diagram of a ring modulator.

Figure 5: Condition when the outer diodes are switched on and the inner diodes are switched off.

Figure 6: Condition when the outer diodes are switched off and the inner diodes are switched on.

7. [Balanced modulator]: Fig. 7 shows the circuit diagram of a balanced modulator. The input applied to
the top AM modulator is m(t), whereas that applied to the lower AM modulator is these two modula-
tors have the same amplitude sensitivity. Show that the output s(t) of the balanced modulator consists
of a DSB-SC modulated signal.

Page 3
 Figure 7: Balanced modulator

Practice Problems

8. For an AM signal s AM (t) = [ A + m(t)] cos(2π f c t), where c(t) = 10 cos 2π ∗ 106 and m(t) = cos 2π ∗ 104
with µ = 0.5:
(a) Find the total power of the signal.
(b) Find the ratio of lower sideband power and the carrier power.
(c) Find the maximum and minimum envelope of an AM signal.
(d) Find the percentage efficiency of the signal and also find the maximum efficiency for AM signal.

9. What is the effect on modulation index (µ) if an additional carrier component is added to the AM wave.

10. [Ring modulator]: A DSB-SC signal is given by m(t) cos 2π106 t. The carrier frequency of this signal,
1MHz is to be changed to 400kHz. The only equipment available is one ring modulator, a bandpass
filter centered at frequency of 400kHz, and one sin wave generator whose frequency can be varied
from 150kHz to 210kHz. Show how can you obtain the desired signal cm(t) cos 2π ∗ 400 ∗ 106 t from
m(t) cos 2π106 t. Determine the value of c.

11. Suppose that nonlinear devices are available for which the output current i0 and input voltage vi are
related by

i0 = avi + bv3i

where a and b are constants. Explain how these devices may be used to provide: (a) a product modula-
tor and (b) an amplitude modulator.

12. [Envelope detector]: A DSB-SC signal is given by m(t) cos(2π f c t), where m(t) = cos 2πt is applied at
the input of an envelop detector. Show that the output of the envelop detector is not m(t) but |m(t)|.
Show that, in general, if an AM signal s(t) = [ A + m(t)] cos 2π f c t is envelop-detected, the output

Page 4
is | A + m(t)|. Hence show that the condition for recovering m(t) from the enevelope detector isA +
m(t) > 0 for all t.

Page 5