Communication System Engineering

Chapter 3
Linear Continuous Wave (CW)
Modulation – Amplitude Modulations

Lectured by Prof. Dr. Thuong Le-Tien

Slides with references from HUT Finland; Mc. Graw Hill Co.; A.B.
Carlson’s Communication Systems Book;
Simon Haykin - Communication Systems Book.
R.Ziemer&H.Transfer – Principles of Communications Book

September 2024 1
Linear continuous wave (CW) modulation

Bandpass systems and signals

Lowpass (LP) equivalents
Amplitude modulation (AM) AM
Double-sideband modulation (DSB)
Modulator techniques
Suppressed-sideband DSB
(Single Sideband) amplitude
modulation (LSB, USB)
Vestigial Sideband modulation (VSB)
Detection techniques of linear modulation SSB=LSB
– Coherent detection
– Noncoherent detection
VSB

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Baseband and CW communications
carrier

Baseband communications is used in

– PSTN local loop baseband CW
– PCM communications for instance between exchanges
– (fiber-) optical communication
Using carrier to shape and shift the frequency spectrum (eg CW
techniques) enable modulation by which several advantages are
obtained
– different radio bands can be used for communications
– wireless communications
– multiplexing techniques become applicable
– exchanging transmission bandwidth to received SNR

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Defining
bandpass
signals
The bandpass signal is band limited
Vbp ( f ) = 0, f  f c − W  f  f c + W
Vbp ( f )  0,otherwise

We assume also that (why?)

W  f C
In telecommunications bandpass signals are used to convey
messages over medium
In practice, transmitted messages are never
strictly band limited due to
– their nature in frequency domain (Fourier series coefficients
may extend over very large span of frequencies)
– non-ideal filtering 4
Example of a bandpass system
Consider a simple bandpass system: a resonant (tank) circuit
jL / jC
zp = zi = R + z p Vin ( ) H ( ) = Vout ( )
jL + 1 / jC
H ( ) = Vout ( ) / Vin ( ) = z p / zi  H ( ) = 1/[1 + jQ( f / f0 + f0 / f )]

Q = R C / L

 0
f = (2 LC ) −1

zp
Tank circuit

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Bandwidth and Q-factor
The bandwidth is inversely proportional to Q-factor:

B3 dB = f0 / Q (for the tank circuit: Q = R C / L )

System design is easier if the fractional bandwidth 1/Q=B/f0 is

kept relatively small:
0.01  B / f0  0.1
Some practical examples:

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System design is easier for smaller fractional
bandwidths (FB).

Antenna and bandpass amplifier design is difficult for

large FB:s:
– one will have “difficult to realize” components or
parameters in circuits as
• too high Q
• too small or large values for capacitors and
inductors
These structures have a bandpass nature because one
of their important elements is the resonant circuit.
Making them broadband means decreasing resistive
losses that can be difficult

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 In I-Q presentation bandpass signal carrier and modulation parts
are separated into different terms
vbp (t ) = A(t )cos[C t +  (t )]
vbp (t ) = vi (t ) cos(C t ) − vq (t ) sin(C t )
vi (t ) = A(t )cos  (t ), vq (t ) = A(t )sin  (t )

Bandpass signal
in frequency
domain

Bandpass signal cos( +  ) = cos( ) cos(  )

in time
dashed line
− sin( ) sin(  )
domain
denotes envelope
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The phasor description of bandpass signal
Bandpass signal is conveniently represented by a phasor
rotating at the angular carrier rate  C t +  (t ) :

vbp (t ) = vi (t )cos(C t ) − vq (t )sin(C t )

vi (t ) = A(t )cos  (t ), vq (t ) = A(t )sin  (t )
vi (t )  0,arctan(vq (t ) / vi (t ))
A(t ) = vi (t ) + vq (t )  (t ) = 
2 2

vi (t )  0, + arctan(vq (t ) / vi (t ))

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 vbp (t ) = vi (t )cos(C t ) − vq (t )sin(C t )
Lowpass (LP) signal
vi (t ) = A(t )cos  (t ), vq (t ) = A(t )sin  (t )
Lowpass signal is defined by
yielding in time domain
vlp (t ) = F −1 Vlp ( f )  = 12 vi (t ) + jvq (t ) 
Taking rectangular-polar conversion yields then
vlp (t ) = A(t )  cos  (t ) + j sin  (t )  / 2 vlp (t ) = 12 A(t )exp j (t )
vlp (t ) = A(t ) / 2, arg vlp (t ) =  (t )


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Transforming lowpass signals and bandpass signals
vbp (t ) = A(t )cos[ct +  (t )]
vbp = Re  A(t )exp[ j ct +  (t )]
 
 A(t ) 
vbp = 2Re  exp[ j (t )]exp[ j ct ]
 2 
 vlp ( t ) 
vbp = 2Re vlp (t )exp[ jct ]
Physically this means that the lowpass signal is modulated to
the carrier frequency  when it is transformed to bandpass
signal. Bandpass signal can be transformed into lowpass signal
The physical meaning of this is a spectrum translation.
Vlp ( f ) = Vbp ( f + fC )u( f + fC )
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Amplitude modulation (AM)
Four linear modulation methods: (1) AM (amplitude modulation),
(2) DSB (double sideband modulation), (3) SSB (single
sideband modulation), (4) VSB (vestigial sideband modulation)
AM signal:
xC (t ) = Ac [1 +  xm (t )]cos( ct +  (t )) 0    1

= Ac cos( ct +  (t )) + Ac  xm (t )cos( ct +  (t ))  xm (t )  1
Carrier Information carrying part
(t) is an arbitrary constant. Hence we note that no information
is transmitted via the phase. Assume for instance that (t)=0,
then the LP components are
vi (t ) = A(t ) cos( (t )) = A(t ) = Ac [1 +  xm (t )]
vq (t ) = A(t )sin( (t )) = 0

Also, the carrier component contains no information-> Waste of

power to transmit the unmodulated carrier, but can still be useful
(how?)
12
 AM: waveforms and bandwidth
AM in frequency domain:
xc (t ) = Ac [1 +  xm (t )]cos( ct )
= Ac cos( ct ) +  xm (t )cos( ct )
Carrier Information carrying part

X c ( f ) = Ac ( f − f c ) / 2 +  Ac X m ( f − f c ) / 2 f  0(for brief notations)

Carrier Information carrying part

AM bandwidth is twice the message bandwidth W:

v(t )cos(ct +  )  12 V ( f − f c )exp j + V ( f + f c )exp− j 

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AM waveforms

(a): modulation
(b): modulated carrier
with <1
(c): modulated carrier
with >1
(d) Modulation Index
=(Amax-Amin)/2Ac.

Envelope distortion!
(AM signal: xc (t ) = Ac [1 +  xm (t )]cos(ct )) 14
AM power efficiency
AM wave total power consists of the idle carrier part and the
useful signal part:  xc2 (t ) =  Ac2 cos 2 ( ct ) 
Carrier

(AM signal: xc (t ) = +   2 Ac2 xm2 (t ) cos 2 ( ct ) 

Ac [1 +  xm (t )]cos( ct )) Power: SX

= Ac2 / 2 +  2 Ac2 S X / 2
PC 2 PSB
Assume AC=1, SX=1, then for =1 (the max value) the total
power is
PT max = 1 / 2 + 1 / 2
carrier + mod ulated power
Therefore at least half of the total power is wasted on carrier
Detection of AM is simple by enveloped detector that is a reason
why AM is still used. Also, sometimes AM makes
system design easier, as in fiber optic
communications 15
DSB signals and spectra
In DSB the wasteful carrier is suppressed:
xc (t ) = Ac xm (t )cos(ct )
The spectra is otherwise identical to AM and the transmission
BW equals again double the message BW
X c ( f ) = Ac X m ( f − fc ) / 2, f  0
In time domain each modulation signal zero crossing produces
phase reversals of the carrier. For DSB, the total power ST and
the power/sideband PSB have the relationship

ST = Ac2 S X / 2 = 2PSB  PSB = Ac2 S X / 4( DSB)

Therefore AM transmitter requires twice the power of DSB

transmitter to produce the same coverage assuming SX=1.
However, in practice SX is usually smaller than 1/2, under which
condition at least four times the DSB power is required for the
AM transmitter for the same coverage
AM: xc (t ) = Ac [1 +  xm (t )]cos(ct ) 16
DSB and AM spectra
xm (t ) = Am cos( mt )
AM in frequency domain with
X c ( f ) = Ac ( f − f c ) / 2 +  Ac X m ( f − f c ) / 2, f  0 (general expression)
Carrier Information carrying part

A A A A
 ( f − fc ) + c m  ( f − fc − fm ) + c m  ( f − fc + fm )
Ac
Xc( f ) =
2 4 4

In summary, difference of AM and DSB at frequency domain is

the missing carrier component. Other differences relate to power
efficiency and detection techniques. /2

/2
/2

(a) DSB spectra, (b) AM spectra

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Example of DSB Modulator

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AM phasor analysis,tone modulation
AM and DSB can be inspected also by trigonometric expansion
yielding for instance for AM
xC (t ) = AC Am  cos( m t )cos( C t ) + AC cos( C t )
AC Am  AA
= cos( C −  m )t + C m cos( C +  m )t
2 2
+ AC cos( C t )
This has a nice phasor interpretation;
take for instance =2/3, Am=1:

 2 
A(t ) = Ac 1 + cos ct 
 3 

2
Am  =
3
AM signal: xc (t ) = Ac [1 +  xm (t )]cos(ct )
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A(t )
Linear modulators
Note that AM and DSB systems generate new frequency
components that were not present at the carrier or at the
message.
Hence modulator must be a nonlinear system
Both AM and DSB can be generated by
– analog or digital multipliers
– special nonlinear circuits
• based on semiconductor junctions (as diodes, FETs etc.)
• based on analog or digital nonlinear amplifiers as
– log-antilog amplifiers:
v1
p = log v1 + log v2 Log
v1v2
p
10 = v1v2
p
v2 Log
10

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 (a) Product modulator
(b) respective schematic
diagram
=multiplier+adder

Circuit for Variable

transconductance multiplier (AM signal: xc (t ) = Ac [1 +  xm (t )]cos(ct )) 21
Square-law modulator (for AM)
Square-law modulators are based on nonlinear elements:

(a) functional block diagram, (b) circuit realization 22

Balanced modulator (for DSB)
By using balanced configuration non-idealities on square-law
characteristics can be compensated resulting a high degree of
carrier suppression:

Note that if the modulating signal has a DC-component, it is not

cancelled out and will appear at the carrier frequency of the
modulator output
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 Synchronous detection
All linear modulations can be detected by synchronous
detector
Regenerated, in-phase carrier replica required for signal
regeneration that is used to multiple the received signal
Consider an universal*, linearly modulated signal:

xc (t ) = [ Kc + K  x(t )]cos(ct ) + K  xq (t )sin(ct )

The multiplied signal y(t) is:

xc (t ) ALO cos( ct ) =
ALO
2
[ K c + K  x(t )][1 + cos(2 ct ) ] − K  xq (t )sin(2 ct ) 
ALO
= [ K c + K  x(t )]
2

Synchronous
detector
*What are the parameters
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for example for AM or DSB?
The envelope detector
Important motivation for using AM is the possibility to use the
envelope detector that
– has a simple structure (also cheap)
– needs no synchronization
(e.g. no auxiliary, unmodulated
carrier input in receiver)
– no threshold effect (
SNR can be very small and
receiver still works)

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Envelope detector analyzed
Assume diode half-wave rectifier used to rectify AM-signal.
Therefore after the diode AM modulation is in effect multiplied
with the half-wave rectified sinusoidal signal w(t)
1 2  1 
vR =  A + m(t ) cos C t  +  cos  C t − cos3 C t + ...  
2   3 
w( t )
1
vR =  A + m(t ) + other higher order terms

The diode detector is then followed by a lowpass circuit to
remove the higher order terms
The resulting DC-term may also be blocked by a capacitor
Note the close resembles of this principle to the synchronous-
detector (why?)
1
cos 2 ( x) = 1 + cos(2 x) 26
2
(a) (b) (c)

(a)

(b) (c)

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W is the bandwidth of m(t)
COHERENT DETECTION FOR DSB SIGNALS

Pass the signal through a filter we get the output with

cos is a contact phase error

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COSTAS RECEIVER FOR DSB SIGNALS

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SSB GENERATION
SSB Generation

Response of the filter

Lower Sideband signal

DSB signal

(*)

Hilbert Transform

(**)
Combining (*) and (**), we get the lower-Sideband SSB

Or similar for the Upper-sideband SSB

Phase shift method for SSB generation
Weaver’s SSB modulator

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Quadrature carrier multiplexing or quadrature amplitude modulation QAM

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VESTIGIAL SIDEBAND MODULATION

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Generation VSB
a. DSB Magnitude
b. VSB filter
c. VSB spectrum

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Given Modulating SIgnal
DSB signal

VSB filter response

DSB signal

VSB signal

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TV Signal using VSB modulation

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Frequency conversion

Satellite transponder with frequency conversion

Synchronous detection
 VSB spectra. a) Message; b) Modulated signal
C) Frequency-translated signal before lowpass filtering
FREQUENCY TRANSLATION - Mixer

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FREQUENCY DIVISION MULTIPLEXING (FDM)

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47
Example of FDM in Telephone Systems

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