1

Full AM:Frequency-Domain
Note that although both the carrier and the modulating signal may be
sign waves, the modulated AM waveform is not a sine wave.

v(t) = E
c
( 1+ m

sin e
m
t) sin e
c
t [from 2.2]

Expanding it and using a trigonometric identity will prove useful.

Expanding gives:

v(t) = E
c
sin e
c
t + mE
c
sin e
m
t sin e
c
t [2.7]

The first term is just the carrier. The second can be expanded using two
trigonometric identities:
2
sin A sin B = [ cos(A-B) cos(A+B) ]
and
cos A = cos (-A)
to give

v(t) = E
c
sin e
c
t + mE
c
[cos(e
c
-e
m
)t - cos(e
c
+e
m
)t ]
2
which can be separated into three distinct terms:

v(t) = E
c
sin e
c
t + mE
c
cos(e
c
-e
m
)t - mE
c
cos(e
c
+e
m
)t
[2.8]
2 2
3
Cont.
4
5
We now have, besides the original carrier, two additional sinusoidal
waves, one above the carrier frequency and one below.
When the complete signal is sketched in the frequency domain, we can
see the carrier and two additional frequencies (one to each side).
E
c
mE
c
2
f
c -
f
m
f
c +
f
m
f
c
Fig: 7 AM in frequency domain
6
Mathematically, we have:
f
usb
= f
c
+ f
m
[2.9]



f
lsb
= f
c
f
m
[2.10]



E
lsb
= E
usb
= mE
c
[2.11]

2
where
f
usb
= frequency of the upper sideband
f
lsb
= frequency of the lower sideband
E
usb
= peak voltage of the upper-sideband component
E
lsb
= peak voltage of the lower-sideband component

7
(a) A 1MHz carrier with an amplitude of 1V peak is modulated by a 1kHz
signal with m = 0.5. Sketch the voltage spectrum
(b) An additional 2 kHz signal modulates the carrier with m = 0.2. Sketch the
voltage spectrum
Example 2.4
1
0.25
0.999

1.000

1.001

Solution:

1
0.25
0.999

1.000

1.001

0.998

1.002

0.1
f(MHz)

f(MHz)

Lower
Sideband
Upper
Sideband
8
Example 2.5
9
Signal bandwidth one of important characteristics of any modulation
scheme.
How much bandwidth needed depends on the baseband frequency range.
In order to reduce interference from distant stations, many AM receivers do
have narrow bandwidth and limited audio frequency response.
An AM signal requires twice the bandwidth of the original signal.
For a video signal with a 4MHz maximum baseband frequency would need
8MHz of bandwidth. Mathematically, the relationship is:

B = 2 F
m
[2.12]
where
B = bandwidth in hertz
F
m
= highest modulating frequency in hertz

Bandwidth
10
Crucial SNR at the receiver depends as much on the signal power being
large and the noise power being small.
Since E
c
is the peak carrier voltage, the power P
c
developed when this
signal appears across a resistance R is simply;
Power Relationships
R
E
P
c
c
2
) 2 / (
=
W
R
E
c
2
2
=
2
c
usb lsb
mE
E E = =
To find power in each sideband, referring to equation [2.11];
11
Since the carrier and both sidebands are part of the same signal, the
sidebands will appear across the same resistance R as the carrier. The two
sidebands will have equal power. Looking at the lower sideband,
R
E
P
lsb
lsb
2
2
=
R
mE
c
2
) 2 / (
2
=
R
E m
c
2 x 4
2
2
=
R
E m
c
2
x
4
2
2
=
usb c
P P
m
= =
4
2

[2.13]
12
Since the two sidebands have equal power, the total sideband power is
given by;
c sb
P
m
P
2
2
=
[2.14]
The total power, P
t
in the whole signal is just the sum of the power in the
carrier and the sidebands, so it is;
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
2
1
2
2
2
m
P P
or
P
m
P P
c t
c c t
[2.15]
13
AM power efficiency
Sideband power is
maximized by
setting m = 1.

2
1
2
T c
m
P P
| |
= +
|
\ .
2
4
c
m
P
2
4
c
m
P
c
P
For m = 1, what percentage of the total
power is dedicated to the sidebands?

14
Cont.
At maximum modulation, the sideband
power is at most 33% of the total
transmitted power.

Percentage modulation (% m)
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e

o
f

t
o
t
a
l

p
o
w
e
r

(
%

P
T
)
Power in sidebands (P
SB
)
Power in carrier (P
c
)
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
0
20
40
60
80
100
2
4
c
m
P
2
4
c
m
P
c
P
2
1
2
T c
m
P P
| |
= +
|
\ .
15
Cont.
Two-thirds of the power is wasted in the carrier.
Further, 100% modulation only occurs at peaks in
the modulating signal, thus the average sideband
power is considerably worse than the ideal.

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
Time (sec)
V
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
V
)
Speech as a modulating signal
100% modulation only occurs
at peaks
16
An AM broadcast transmitter has a carrier power output of 50kW. What
total power would be proceed with 80% modulation?
Example 2.6
Solution:

|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
2
1
2
m
P P
c t
kW
kW
66
2
8 . 0
1 50
2
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
17
A broadcast radio transmitter radiates 10kW when the modulation
percentage is 60. How much of this is carrier power?
Example 2.7
Solution:

2 / 1
2
m
P
P
t
c
+
=
kW 47 . 8
2 / 6 . 0 1
10
2
=
+
=
18
Current Calculations
2
1
2
m
P
P
c
t
+ =
2
1
2
2
2
2
m
I
I
R I
R I
P
P
c
t
c
t
c
t
+ =
|
|
.
|

\
|
= =
2
1
2
m
I
I
c
t
+ =
2
1
2
m
I I
c t
+ =
[2.16]
19
The antenna current of an AM transmitter is 8 amperes when only the
carrier is sent, but it increases to 8.93amperes when the carrier is
modulated by a single sine wave. Find the percentage modulation.
Determine the antenna current when the percent of modulation changes to
0.8.
Example 2.8
Solution:

1
2
2
1
2
2
2
2

|
|
.
|

\
|
=
+ =
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
t
c
t
I
I m
m
I
I
20
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
= 1 2
2
c
t
I
I
m
Here;
% 1 . 70 @ 701 . 0 1
8
93 . 8
2
2
=
(
(

|
.
|

\
|
= m
For the second part we have;
2
1
2
m
I I
c t
+ =
A I
t
19 . 9
2
8 . 0
1 8
2
= + =
21
Measuring Modulation Index in
Frequency Domain
c
lsb
c
lsb
c lsb
P
P
m
P
P
m
P
m
P
2
4
4
2
2
=
=
=
From eq [2.13];
[2.17]
22
Frequency Domain
Unmodulated
frequency
Signal
Carrier
Baseband
Modulated
frequency
Signal
Carrier
Baseband Baseband
23
Improving on AM
Besides the 67% power loss due to the
carrier, the sidebands contain
redundant information.
To maximize the efficiency of AM we
need to
Suppress the carrier
Eliminate one of the sidebands
24
Cont.
Upper and lower
sidebands contain the
same information.
AM modulated speech signal
25
Suppressing the carrier
Eliminating the carrier results in a
double-sideband suppressed carrier
(DSSC or DSB) signal shown below.

-2
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
Time (sec)
V
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
V
)
-2
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
Time (sec)
V
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
V
)
Full carrier AM signal Suppressed carrier AM signal (DSB)
Note the phase transitions
26
DSSC in frequency domain
-2
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
Time (sec)
V
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
V
)
-2
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
Time (sec)
V
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
V
)
Full carrier AM signal Suppressed carrier AM signal (DSB)
27
Double-sideband suppressed carrier
Despite power savings, DSB AM is not widely used
because the signal is difficult to demodulate (recover)
at the receiver.
One important application of DSB is the transmission
of color information in a TV signal.

28
Why is AM still widely used?
AM is still widely used because it is simple and
effective.
AM broadcast radio
CB radio
TV broadcasting
Air traffic control radios
Garage door opens, keyless remotes