CHAPTER 2

Amplitude Modulation and Single-Sideband Modulation

1. Modulation is the process of having the information to be communicated modifies a higher frequency signal
called a carrier.
2. Amplitude modulation (AM) is the oldest and simplest form of modulation.
3. In AM, the amplitude of the carrier is changed in accordance with the amplitude and frequency or the
characteristics of the modulating signal. The carrier frequency remains constant.
4. The amplitude variation of the carrier peaks has the shape of the modulating signal and is referred to
as the envelope.
5. A time-domain display shows amplitude versus time variation of AM and other signals.
6. Amplitude modulation is produced by a circuit called a modulator which has two in puts and an output.
7. The modulator performs a mathematical multiplication of the carrier and information signals. The output is their
analog product.
8. The ratio of the peak voltage value of the modulating signal Vm to the peak value of the carrier Ve is called the
modulation index m (m = Vm I Ve). It is also referred to as the modulation coefficient or factor and the degree of
modulation.
9. The ideal value for m is 1, Typically m is less than 1. The condition where m is greater than 1 should be avoided
as it introduces serious distortion of the modulating signal. This is called overmodulation.
10. When the modulation index is multiplied by 100, it is called the percentage of modulation.
11. The percentage of modulation can be computed from AM waveforms displayed on an oscilloscope by using the
expression

_J
% m o d .= _ 1 0 _ 0 _ (Vm ax__ -_ V m_i
V max + Vrnin
where Vmax is the maximum peak carrier amplitude and Vmin is the
minimum peak carrier amplitude.
12. The new signals generated by the modulation process are called sidebands and occur at frequencies above and
below the carrier frequency.
13.The upper fUSB and lower f sideband frequencies are the sum and difference of the carrier frequency f
LSB c and the
modulating frequency f M and are computed with the expressions
 23. The main advantage of an SSB AM signal over an AM or DSB signal is that it occupies one-half the spectrum space.

24.Both DSB and SSB signals are more efficient in terms of power usage. The power wasted in the useless carrier is
saved thereby allowing more power to be put into the sidebands.

25. Power in an SSB transmitter is rated in terms of peak envelope power (PEP), the power that is produced on voice
peaks. PEP output is computed using the expression

fUSB = fe +
fm f = fe -
LSB

fm
14. A display of signal amplitudes with respect to frequency is called a frequency-domain display.
15. An AM signal can be viewed as the carrier signal added to the sideband signals produced by AM. 16.The
total transmitted power in an AM signal is the sum of the carrier and sideband powers PT = ( P c +
PU S B + PL S B) an d is d istrib ute d a m on g th e ca rrie r an d side b an d s. T h is po w e r d istribu tio n va rie s w ith the p e rce nta ge of m o du la tio
p o w e r is

The power in each sideband is

17. The higher the percentage of modulation, the greater the sideband power and the stronger and more intelligible the
transmitted and received signal.

18. Despite its simplicity and effectiveness, AM is a highly inefficient method of modulation.

19. In an AM signal, the carrier contains no information. Any transmitted information lies solely in the sideband. For that
reason, the carrier may be suppressed and not transmitted.

20. An AM signal with suppressed carrier is called a double-sideband (DSB) signal.

21. Since the same transmitted information is contained in both upper and lower sidebands, one is redundant. Full
information can be transmitted using only one sideband.

22. An AM signal with no carrier and one sideband is called a single-sideband (SSB) signal. The upper and lower
sidebands contain the same information, and one is not preferred over the other.
 CHAPTER 4
Frequency Modulation
1. In FM, the information signal varies the frequency of the carrier.
2. The amount of frequency change from the carrier center frequency is called the frequency deviation.
3. In PM, the deviation is proportional to the amplitude of the modulating signal.
4. During FM, the carrier amplitude remains constant.
5. Both FM and PM are types of angle modulations.
6. In PM, the phase shift of the carrier is varied by the amplitude of the modulating signal.
where PEP is in watts and V is the rms voltage across the antenna load impedance R. The PEP input is computed
using the expression
7. Phase modulation produces frequency modulation.
PEP = Vs x Imax
8. The FM produced by PM is called indirect FM.
where Vs is the de supply voltage of the final amplifier stage and Imax is the amplifier current on voice peaks.

26. The average output of an SSB transmitter is one-fourth to one-third of the PEP value.
9. Maximum frequency deviation in a PM signal occurs where the rate of change of the modulating signal
27. Frequency conversion is a form of AM used to translate signals to higher or lower frequencies for improved
processing.
28. Frequency conversion is carried out by a circuit called a mixer or converter.

29. The mixer performs analog multiplication of the input signal and a local oscillator signal.

30. The frequency conversion process faithfully retains any modulation (AM, PM, etc.) on the input. The translated signal
contains the same modulation.

31.The output of a mixer consists of the local oscillator signal fo and the sum and difference frequencies of the local
oscillator and input frequencies:

fs fo fa
+f s
fa - fs or fs - fa

32. Either the sum or the difference frequency is selected with a filter, while the others are rejected.

33. The process of mixing is also known as heterodyning.

amplitude is greatest, which is at its zero-crossing points.

10. Frequency deviation does not occur at the output of a phase modulator unless the modulating signal amplitude
varies.
11. The amount of frequency deviation produced by a phase modulator increases with the modulating frequency.
12. To produce true FM from a PM signal, the amplitude of the modulating signal must be decreased with frequency
so that frequency deviation does not change with modulating frequency.
13. In PM, a low-pass filter on the modulating signal compensates for increased frequency deviation at the higher
modulating frequencies.
14. Frequency modulation produces pairs of sidebands spaced from the carrier in multiples of the modulating
frequency.
IS.The modulation index m of an FM signal is the ratio of the frequency deviation fd to the modulating frequency fm
(m = fd / fm).
16. The deviation ratio is the maximum frequency deviation divided by the maximum modulating frequency.
17. The modulation index determines the number of significant pairs of sidebands in an FM signal.
18. The amplitudes of the carrier and sidebands vary with the modulation index and can be calculated with a
mathematical procedure known as the Bessel functions.
19. The carrier or sideband amplitudes are zero at some modulation indexes.
20. The bandwidth of an FM signal is proportional to the modulation index.
21. There are two ways to calculate the bandwidth of an FM signal.
a. BW = 2Nfm max
b. BW = 2(fd max + fm max)
22. For FM, the percentage of modulation is the ratio of the actual frequency deviation and the maximum allowed
frequency deviation multiplied by 100.
23. The primary advantage of FM over AM is its immunity to noise.
24. Noise is short-duration amplitude variations caused by lightning, motors, auto ignitions, power transients, and other
sources.
25. Limiter circuits in FM receivers clip off noise signals.
26. Another benefit of FM over AM is the capture effect that allows the strongest signal on a frequency to dominate
without interference from the other signal.
27. A third benefit of FM over AM is greater transmitter efficiency since class C amplifiers may be used.
28. A major disadvantage of FM is that its bandwidth is wider than the bandwidth of AM.
29. The spectrum space taken up by an FM signal may be limited by carefully controlling the deviation ratio.
30. Another disadvantage of FM is that the circuits to produce and demodulate it are usually more complex and
expensive than AM circuits.
31. Noise occurs primarily at high frequencies; therefore, noise interferes more with high modulating frequencies.
32. Interference from high-frequency noise can be minimized by boosting the amplitude of high-frequency modulating
signals prior to modulation. This is called pre-emphasis.
33.Pre-emphasis is accomplished by passing the modulating signal through an RC network that linearly boosts the
amplitude of frequencies above 2122 Hz in proportion to frequency. This increases the signal-to-noise ratio at the
higher frequencies.
34.The effect of pre-emphasis is corrected for, in an FM receiver by de-emphasizing the higher frequencies by passing
them through an RC low-pass filter.
35.The pre-emphasis and de-emphasis networks have a time constant of 75 s and a cutoff frequency of 2122 Hz.
Supply the missing word(s) in each statement.
Choose the letter that best answers each question.
1. The general name given to both PM and PM is __ modulation.
2. True or false. In FM, the carrier amplitude remains constant with modulation.
3. The amount of frequency shift during modulation is called the __ .
4. The amount of frequency shift in PM is directly proportional to the __ of the modulating signal.
5. As the modulating signal amplitude goes positive, the carrier frequency __ . As the modulating signal
amplitude goes negative, the carrier frequency
6. In PM, the carrier __ is varied in proportion to the amplitude of the modulating signal.
7. A varying phase shift produces a(n) __ .
8. A phase modulator produces a frequency deviation only when the modulating signal is __ .
9. In PM, the frequency deviation is proportional to both the modulating signal __ and __ .
10. When the modulating signal amplitude crosses zero, the phase shift and frequency deviation in a phase modulator
are
a. At a maximum
b. At a minimum
c. Zero
11. A phase modulator may use a low-pass filter to offset the effect of increasing carrier frequency deviation for
increasing modulating
a. Amplitude
b. Frequency
 c. Phase shift
12. The FM produced by a phase modulator is known as __ .
13. True or false. An FM signal produces more sidebands than an AM signal.
14. The bandwidth of an FM signal is proportional to the __ .
15. The maximum frequency deviation of an FM signal is 10 kHz. The maximum modulating frequency is 3.33 kHz. The
deviation ratio is
16. An FM signal has a modulation index of 2.5. How many significant pairs of sidebands are produced? (See Fig. 4-6.)
(page 75-Frenzel)
17. In an FM signal that modulating frequency is a l.5-kHz sine wave. The carrier frequency is 1000 kHz.
The frequencies of the third significant sidebands are __ and __ kHz.
18. Refer to Fig. 4-6. What is the relative amplitude of the fourth significant pair of sidebands in an FM signal with a
deviation ratio of 4? (page 75-Frenzel)
19. The amplitudes of the sidebands in an FM signal are dependent upon a mathematical process known as
20. A PM signal has a deviation ratio of 3. The maximum modulating signal is 5 kHz. The bandwidth of the signal is __
kHz.
21. If the maximum allowed deviation is 5 kHz but the actual deviation is 3.75 kHz, the percentage of
modulation is __ percent.
22. A negative sign on the carrier and sideband amplitudes in Fig. 4-6 means a(n) __ .
23. True or false. The carrier in an FM signal can never drop to zero amplitude.
24. Calculate the bandwidth of an PM signal with a maximum deviation of 10 kHz and a maximum modulating signal
frequency of 4 kHz. Use the two methods given in the text, significant sidebands, and Carson's role, and compare
your answers. Explain the difference.
25. The main advantage of FM over AM is its immunity from __ .
26. Noise is primarily a variation in
a. Amplitude.
b. Frequency.
c. Phase.
27. FM receivers reject noise because of built-in circuits.
28. The in an FM receiver causes a stronger signal to dominate a weaker signal on the same frequency.
29. Typically FM transmitters are more efficient than AM transmitters because they use class __
amplifiers.
30. The biggest disadvantage of FM is its excessive use of __ .
31. True or false. An AM circuit is usually more complex and expensive than an FM circuit.
32. Noise interferes primarily with __ modulating frequencies.
33. The method used to offset the effect of noise in FM transmissions by boosting high frequencies is
known as
34. To boost high frequencies a(n) __ circuit is used.
35. To correct for the high-frequency boost, a(n) __ circuit is used at the receiver. 36.The
time constant of a pre-emphasis circuit is __ s.
37. In an FM receiver, frequencies above __ Hz are attenuated 6 dB per octave.
ANSWERS
1. angle
2. true
3. deviation
4. amplitude
5. increases, decreases (the reverse could also be true)
6. phase shift
7. frequency shift or deviation
8. changing or varying
9. amplitude, frequency
10. a
11. b
12. indirect FM
13. true
14. modulation
index 15.3 (m = 10/33 =
3)
16.5
17.995.5, 1004.5 [3(1.5) = 4.5 KHz; 1000 &4.5 = 995.5 and 1004.5 kHz]
18.0.28
19. Bessel functions
20.60 [2(5)(6)= 60 kHz]
21. 75 [(3.75/5)100 = 75%]
22.phase inversion or 180· .... shift
23. false
24. BW = 40 kHz; BW = 28 kHz using Carson's rule; Carson's rule gives narrower bandwidths because
sidebands of less than 2 percent amplitude are not considered
25. n
oise 26.a
26. limiter (or clipper)
27. capture
effect 29.C
28. spectrum space
29. false
30. high
31. pre-emphasis
32. high-pass filter
33. de-emphasis
34. 7
5
37.2122
16.