EXPERIMENT No.

09
SSBSC MODULATION
PRE-LAB TASK
Objective
To implement SSBSC Modulation on NI Datex Trainer

Introduction
The process of suppressing one of the sidebands along with the carrier and transmitting a single
sideband is called as Single Sideband Suppressed Carrier system or simply SSBSC. It is plotted
as shown in the following figure.

Theory
Comparing the two communications systems considered earlier in this manual, DSBSC offers
considerable power savings over AM (at least 66%) because a carrier is not transmitted.
However, both systems generate and transmit sum and difference frequencies (the upper and
lower sidebands) and so they have the same bandwidth for the same message signal.
As its 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 the difference
frequencies but not both. Importantly, it doesn't matter which sideband is used because they both
contain all of the information in the original message.
In transmitting only one sideband, SSB requires only half the bandwidth of DSBSC and AM
which is a significant advantage is.
Figure 1 below shows a simple message signal and an unmodulated carrier. It also shows the
result of modulating the carrier with the message using SSBSC. If you look closely, you'll notice
that the modulated carrier is not the same frequency as either the message or the carrier.
A common method of generating SSB simply involves generating a DSBSC signal then using a
filter to pick out and transmit only one of the sidebands. This is known as the filter method.
However, the two sidebands in a DSBSC signal are close together in frequency and so
specialized filters must be used. This means that the filters for non-mainstream communications
systems can be expensive.
Another way of generating SSB that is becoming increasingly popular is called the phasing
method. This uses a technique called phase discrimination to cancel out one of the sidebands at
the generation stage (instead of filtering it out afterwards).
In telecommunications theory, the mathematical model that defines this process is:
SSB = (message x carrier) + (message with 90° of phase shift x carrier with 90° of phase shift)
If you look closely at the equation you'll notice that it's the sum of two multiplications. When the
message is a simple sinewave the solution of the two multiplications tells us that four sinewaves
are generated. Depending on whether the message's phase shift is +90° or -90° their frequencies
and phase differences are:
Regardless of whether the message's phase shift is +90° or -90°, when the four sinewaves 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
completely cancel. In other words, the process produces only a sum or difference signal (that is,
just one sideband).
The block diagram that implements the phasing type of SSB modulator is shown in Figure 2
below.
As SSB signals don't contain a carrier, they must be demodulated using product detection in the
same way as DSBSC signals (the product detector's operation is summarized in the preliminary
discussion of Experiment 9).

LAB SESSION
The experiment
For this experiment you'll use the Emona DATEx to generate an SSB signal by implementing the
mathematical model for the phasing method. You'll then use a product detector (with a stolen
carrier) to reproduce the message.
Importantly, you'll only do so for a sinewave message (that is, you'll not SSB modulate then
demodulate speech). There's a practical reason for this. The phase shift introduced by the DATEx
Phase Shifter module is frequency dependent (that is, for any given setting, the phase shift is
different at different frequencies). A wideband phase shifting circuit is necessary to provide 90°
of phase shift for all of the sinewaves in a complex message like speech.
It should take you about 40 minutes to complete this experiment.
Equipment
• Personal computer with appropriate software installed
• NI ELVIS II plus USB cable and power pack
• Emona DATEx experimental add-in module
• Two BNC to 2mm banana-plug leads
• Assorted 2mm banana-plug patch leads
Experimental Procedure
Part A - Generating an 558 signal using a simple message
1. Ensure that the NI ELVIS II power switch at the back of the unit is off.
2. Carefully plug the Emona DATEx experimental add-in module into the NI ELVIS II.
3. Set the Control Mode switch on the DATEx module (top right corner) to PC Control.
4. Connect the NI ELVIS II to the PC using the USB cable.
Note: This may already have been done for you.
5. Turn on the NI ELVIS II power switch at the rear of the unit then turn on its
Prototyping Board Power switch at the top right corner near the power indicator.
6. Turn on the PC and let it boot-up.
7. Launch the NI ELVISmx software.
8. Launch and run the NI ELVIS II Function Generator VI.
9. Adjust the function generator using its soft controls for an output with the following
specifications:
• Wave shape: Sine
• Frequency: 10 kHz exactly
• Amplitude: 4Vpp
• DC Offset: 0V
10. Minimize the function generator's VI.
11. Connect the set-up shown in Figure 3 below.

Output

Result Explanation
This set-up can be represented by the block diagram in Figure 4 below. It is used to set up two
message signals that are out of phase with each other.

12. Launch the DATEx soft front-panel (SFP) and check that you have soft control over the
DATEx board.
13. Locate the Phase Shifter module on the DATEx SFP and set its soft Phase Change control
to the 180° position.
14. Set the Phase Shifter module's soft Phase Adjust control to about the middle of its travel.
15. Launch and run the NI ELVIS II Oscilloscope VI.
16. Set up the scope per the procedure in Experiment 1 ensuring that the Trigger Source
control is set to CH 0.
17. Adjust the scope's Timebase control to view two or so cycles of the function generator's
output.
18. Activate the scope's Channel 1.
19. Check that the two message signals are out of phase with each other.
Note: At this stage, it doesn't matter what the phase difference is.
20. Modify the set-up as shown in Figure 5 below.

Output

Result Explanation

This set-up can be represented by the block diagram in Figure 6 on the next page. It is used to
multiply the two message signals with two 100 kHz sinewaves (the carriers) that are exactly 90°
out of phase with each other.
21. Use the scope to check that the lower Multiplier module's output is a DSBSC signal.
Tip: Temporarily set the scope's Channel 1 Scale control to the 2V/div position to do this.
22. Disconnect the scope's Channel 1 input from the lower Multiplier module's output and
connect it to the upper Multiplier module's output.
23. Check that the upper Multiplier module's output is a DSBSC signal as well.
24. Locate the Adder module on the DATEx SFP and set its soft G and g controls to about the
middle of their travel.
25. Modify the set-up as shown in Figure 7 below.
 Output

Result Explanation

This set-up can be represented by the block diagram in Figure 8 below. The Adder module is
used to add the two DSBSC signals together. The phase relationships between the sinewaves in
the DSBSC signals means that two of them (one in each sideband) reinforce each other and the
other two cancel each other out.
Question 1
The signal out of the Adder module is highly unlikely to be an SSB signal at this stage. What are
two reasons for this? Tip: If you're not sure, one of them can be worked out by reading the
preliminary discussion.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
The next part of the experiment gets you to make the fine adjustments necessary to turn the set-
up into a true SSB modulator.
26. Deactivate the scope's Channel 0 input.
27. Disconnect the patch lead to the Adder module's B input.
Note: This removes the signal on the Adder module's B input from the set-up's output.
28. Adjust the Adder module's soft G control to obtain a 4Vp-p output.
Tip: Remember that you can use the keyboard's TAB and arrow keys for fine adjustment of the
DATEx SfP's controls.
29. Reconnect the Adder module's B input and disconnect the patch lead to its A input.
Note: This removes the signal on the Adder module's A input from the set-up's output.
30. Adjust the Adder module's soft g control to obtain a 4Vp-p output.
31. Reconnect the patch lead to the Adder module's A input.
The gains of the Adder module's two inputs are now nearly the same. Next, the correct phase
difference between the messages must be achieved.
32. Slowly vary the Phase Shifter module's soft Phase Adjust control left and right and
observe the effect on the envelopes of the set-up's output.
Note: For most of the soft Phase Adjust control's travel, you'll get an output that looks like a
DSBSC signal. However, if you adjust the control carefully, you'll find that you're able to flatten-
out the output signal's envelope.
33. Set the scope's Channel 1 Scale control to the 500mV/div position.
34. Adjust the Phase Shifter module's soft Phase Adjust control to make the envelopes as "flat"
as possible.
The phase difference between the two messages is now nearly 90°.
35. Tweak the Adder module's soft G control to see if you can make the output's envelopes
flatter.
36. Tweak the Phase Shifter module's soft Phase Adjust control to see if you can make the
output's envelopes flatter still.
Once the envelopes are as flat as you can get, the gains of the Adder module's two inputs are
very close to each other and the phase difference between the two messages are very close to
90°. That being the case, the signal out of the Adder module is now SSBSC.
Question 2
How many sinewaves does this SSB signal consist of? Tip: If you're not sure, see the preliminary
discussion.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Question 3
For the given inputs to the SSB modulator, what two frequencies can this signal be?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

LAB REPORT
Conclusion /Summary
References (IEEE Method)