COMMUNICATION SYSTEM LABORATORY EXPERIMENT 3: SINGLE SIDEBAND SUPPRESSED CARRIER (SSBSC)

A. OBJECTIVE OF EXPERIMENT 1. Investigates the generation and reception of single sideband suppressed carrier (SSB) waveforms B. EQUIPMENT REQUIRED 1. Emona Telecoms Trainer 101 2. Oscilloscope and Patch leads 3. Dual Channel Oscilloscope C. SUMMARY OF THEORY Amplitude Modulation (AM) system discussed in experiment 1 transmits both the upper and lower sidebands (sum and difference frequencies) resulting in high bandwidth usage. As the name implies, the Single Sideband Suppressed Carrier (SSBSC or just SSB) system transmits only one sideband. In other words, SSB transmits either the sum or difference frequencies but not both. Importantly, it does not matter which sideband is used, because they both contain all the information in the original message. In transmitting only one sideband, SSB requires only half the bandwidth of AM which is a significant advantage. Figure 1 below shows a simple message, unmodulated carried and the resulting SSB signals. If you look closely, youll notice that the modulated carrier is the same shape as the message but is not the same frequency as either the message or the carrier.

Figure 1 Message, Unmodulated Carrier and SSB Signal

There are a few methods used to generate SSB. An increasingly popular method to generate SSB is called the phasing method. This method uses a technique called phase discrimination to cancel out one of the sideband at the generation stage. In telecommunications theory, the mathematical model that defines this process is: SSB = (message carrier) + (message with 90O of phase shift carrier with 90O of phase shift)

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Looking at the equation closely, you will notice that it is the sum of two multiplications. If the message is a simple sinewave, the multiplications will result in four sinewaves. Depending on the messages phase shift is 90 O or -90O, their frequencies and phase differences are: These Carrier + Message Carrier Message Carrier + Message Carrier Message (180O phase shifted) Or these Carrier + Message Carrier Message Carrier + Message (180O phase shifted) Carrier - Message

Regardless of the message signals phase shift, when the four signals are added together, two of them are in phase and add together to produce one sinewave (either carrier + message or carrier message) and two of the sinewaves are phase inverted and cancels each other. In short, the process produces only a sum or differential signal (i.e. just one sideband). Figure 2 below illustrates the block diagram that implements the phasing type of SSB modulator:

Figure 2

D. PROCEDURE Part A. Generating an SSB 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

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2. Connect the setup as in figure 3 below:
Set the Phase Shifters module Phase Adjust control to the middle of its travel Insert the black plugs of the oscilloscope leads into a ground (GND) socket Set the scope timebase control to view two or more of the two signals Check that the two signals are out of phase of each other (doesnt matter the difference)

Locate the Phase Shifter module and set the Phase Change control to 180O.

Figure 3

3. The setup in Figure 3 is to set up two message signals that are out of phase of each other, and can be represented by the block diagram in Figure 4 below:

Figure 4

4. Modify the setup as shown in figure 5 below (dotted line shows lead already in place):

Figure 5

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5. Locate the adder module and set G and g controls to about middle of their travel. 6. Modify the setup to produce the SSB signal represented by the block diagram in Figure 6 below:

Message Signal To Ch. 1

Figure 6

7. Save the Message and SSB signal waveforms. The next few instructions get you to make fine adjustment necessary to turn the setup into a true SSB modulator. 8. Turn the modules G control fully anti clockwise. This removes the signal on the Adder modules A input from the setups output. 9. Adjust the Adders g control to obtain a 4Vp-p output. 10. Disconnect the patch lead to the Adder modules B input. This removes the signal on the Adder modules B input from the setup. 11. Adjust the Adders G control to obtain a 4Vp-p output. 12. Reconnect the patch lead to the Adders B input. The gains of the Adder modules inputs are now nearly the same. 13. Vary the Phase Shifter modules Phase Adjust control left and right and observe effect on the envelopes of the setups output.. 14. Adjust Phase Shifter modules Phase Adjust control to make the envelopes as flat as possible. The phase difference between the two messages will now be nearly 90O. 15. Set the timebase of the oscilloscope to 50 s/div. Save the Message signal waveforms. 16. Adjust the Timebase until at least two cycle of the SSB signal waveform is visible. Save the SSB waveform.

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Part B. Using product detector to recover the message 1. Locate the Tunable LPF module. Set the Gain control to about middle of its travel; and the Cutoff Frequency Adjust control fully clockwise. 2. Modify the setup according to the block diagram shown in figure 7 below (Use the third multiplier module above the Serial to parallel module):

(sine)

Figure 7

3. Save the modulated and demodulated SSB waveforms. 4. Save the original message and the demodulated message waveforms.

E.

RESULTS AND CALCULATION 1. Message and SSB Signal Waveforms before fine adjustments. 2. Message and SSB Signal Waveforms after fine adjustments. 3. Modulated and demodulated SSB Waveforms. 4. Original and Demodulated Message Waveforms.

F.

DISCUSSIONS 1. The signal out of the SSB modulator as saved in instruction A7 is highly unlikely to be an SSB signal. What are the two reasons for this? 2. For the given inputs to the SSB modulator, what two frequencies can this signal be? 3. Discuss the difference between the original message and the recovered message?