Avionics Course Avionics Course

Electromagnetic Waves Electromagnetic Waves

Radio Signal use in Aviation

Avionics Course
Electromagnetic Waves

Paul Hopff
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Radio Signal Propagation Radio Waves

• To transmit radio waves, an AC generator is
placed at the midpoint of an antenna. • A radio wave is invisible to the human eye. • AC power of a particular frequency has a
• As AC current builds and collapses in the It is electromagnetic in nature and part of characteristic length of conductor that is
antenna, a magnetic field also builds and the electronic spectrum of wave activity resonant at that frequency. This length is
collapses around it. that includes gamma rays, x-rays, the wavelength of the frequency.
• An electric field also builds and subsides as the ultraviolet rays, infrared waves, and visible • Fractions of the wavelength also resonate,
voltage shifts from one end of the antenna to the light rays, as well all radio waves. especially half of a wavelength, which is
other. • The atmosphere is filled with these waves. the same as half of the AC sign wave or
• Both fields, the magnetic and the electric, Each wave occurs at a specific frequency cycle.
fluctuate around the antenna at the same time. and has a corresponding wavelength. The
The antenna is half the wavelength of the AC relationship between frequency and
signal received from the generator. wavelength is inversely proportional.
• At any one point along the antenna, voltage and • A high frequency wave has a short
current vary inversely to each other. wavelength and a low frequency wave has
a long wavelength.

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Electromagnetic Waves Electromagnetic Waves

Radio Signal Propagation Radio Signal Propagation

Line of Sight Propagation (Space Waves): Ground Wave Propagation (Ground Waves):
It requires a path where both antennas are visible to Ground waves progresses along the surface of • The electric field (E) shown surrounding the wire is
one another i.e., both transmitting and receiving the earth i.e., the signal follows contour of the produced by the charge distribution on the wire.
antennas must be within line of sight. VHF (Very earth and can propagate considerable distances. Both the E and the charge distribution vary as the
High Frequencies) & UHF (Ultra High Frequencies) This type of wave induces currents in the ground current changes. The changing field propagates
communication typically use this path. over which it passes and thus loses some outward at the speed of light.
energy by absorption. Frequencies up to 2MHz
(VLF and MW uses it). For example, AM Radio. (a) The current in the antenna produces the
where R is the range in nautical miles, and h the circular magnetic field lines. The current (I)
altitude above the earth in feet.
𝑹 = 𝟏. 𝟐𝟐𝟓 𝒉

produces the separation of charge along the wire,

which in turn creates the electric field as shown.
(b) The electric and magnetic fields (E and B)
near the wire are perpendicular; they are shown
here for one point in space.
(c) The magnetic field varies with current and
propagates away from the antenna at the speed
of light.

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Dipole Antenna (Hertz Antenna) – « λ/2 » Radio Signal Propagation

• It is a conductor, the length of which is • A common dipole antenna is the V-shaped
approximately equal to half the wavelength of VHF navigation antenna, known as a VOR • The electric and magnetic fields (E and B)
the transmission frequency. antenna, found on numerous aircraft. are in phase, and they are perpendicular to
one another and the direction of
• The AC transmission current is fed to a dipole • Each arm of the V is one-fourth
propagation. For clarity, the waves are
antenna in the center. As the current wavelength creating a half wave antenna
shown only along one direction, but they
alternates, current flow is greatest in the which is fed in the center. This antenna is
propagate out in other directions too.
middle of the antenna and gradually less as it horizontally polarized. For a dipole
approaches the ends. Then, it changes receiving antenna, this means it is most
direction and flows the other way. sensitive to signals approaching the Dipole antenna,
• The result is that the largest electromagnetic antenna from the sides rather than head- vertical polarization
field is in the middle of the antenna and the on in the direction of flight.
strongest radio wave field is perpendicular to
the length of the antenna.
Dipole antenna,
• Most dipole antennas in aviation are horizontal polarization
horizontally polarized.

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Electromagnetic Waves Electromagnetic Waves

Marconi Antenna – « λ/2 » Dipole Antenna (Hertz Antenna) – « λ/2 »

VHF-COM zendpark skeyes - Nossegem

Frequency 108-118 MHz (VOR/LOC)
329-335 MHz (GS)

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Marconi Antenna – « λ/4 » Marconi Antenna – « λ/4 »

• VHF communications: 118 – 137 MHz → Wavelength: 2,54 – 2,19 m
• A Marconi antenna is a one-fourth wave antenna. It achieves the efficiency of a half
wave antenna by using the mounting surface of the conductive aircraft skin to create
the second one-fourth wavelength.
• Most aircraft VHF communications antennas are Marconi antennas. They are
vertically polarized and create a field that is omnidirectional.
• On fabric skinned aircraft, the ground plane that makes up the second one-fourth
wavelength of the antenna must be fashioned under the skin where the Marconi
antenna is mounted.
• This can be done with thin aluminum or aluminum foil. Sometimes four or more wires
are extended under the skin from the base of the vertical antenna that serve as the
ground plane. This is enough to give the antenna the proper conductive length. The
same practice is also utilized on ground-based antennas.

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Loading Information onto a Radio Wave - AM Loop Antenna

• When the length of an antenna conductor is fashioned into a loop, its field characteristics are
Amplitude Modulation (AM)
altered significantly from that of a straight-half wavelength antenna. Used as a receiving
• A radio wave can be altered to carry useful information antenna, the loop antenna’s properties are highly direction-sensitive.
by modulating the amplitude of the wave.
• A radio wave intercepting the loop directly broadside causes equal current flow in both sides of
• A DC signal, for example from a microphone, is the loop. However, the polarity of the current flows is opposite each other. This causes them to
amplified and then superimposed over the AC carrier cancel out and produce no signal.
wave signal. As the varying DC information signal is
• When a radio wave strikes the loop antenna in line with the plane of the loop, current is
amplified, the amplifier output current varies
generated first in one side, and then in the other side. This causes the current flows to have
proportionally. The oscillator that creates the carrier
different phases and the strongest signal can be generated from this angle.
wave does so with this varying current.
• The phase difference (and strength) of the generated current varies proportionally to the angle
• The oscillator frequency output is consistent because it
at which the radio wave strikes the antenna loop.
is built into the oscillator circuit. But the amplitude of the
oscillator output varies in relation to the fluctuating
current input.
• Modulation depth refers to the ratio of the unmodulated
carrier amplitude to the amplitude deviation for which
the modulated carrier wave reaches its minimum value.
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Loading Information onto a Radio Wave - AM Loop Antenna

• Modulation depth refers to the ratio of the
unmodulated carrier amplitude to the amplitude
deviation for which the modulated carrier wave
reaches its minimum value.
• The modulation depth m is defined as:
𝑈

with ULF the amplitude of the modulating low

𝑚= × 100 %
𝑈

frequency and UHF the amplitude of the carrier.

• The modulation depth can also be calculated as an
equation with measurable amplitudes A1 and A2:
(%)
• with A1= Carrier amplitude + modulation amplitude
𝑚=

A2 = Carrier amplitude – modulation amplitude

Amelia Earhart holding
16
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Electromagnetic Waves Electromagnetic Waves

Single Side Band – SSB Loading Information onto a Radio Wave - FM

• The bandwidth of an AM signal contains the Frequency Modulation (FM)
carrier wave, the carrier wave plus the • A carrier wave modulated by FM retains its constant
information signal frequencies, and the carrier amplitude. However, the information signal alters the
wave minus the information signal frequencies. frequency of the carrier wave in proportion to the
• These additional frequencies on either side of strength of the signal. Thus, the signal is represented
the carrier wave frequency are known as side as slight variations to the normally consistent timing of
bands. Each side band contains the unique the oscillations of the carrier wave.
information signal desired to be conveyed. The • Since the transmitter oscillator output fluctuates during
entire range of the lower and upper sidebands modulation to represent the information signal, FM
including the center carrier wave frequency is bandwidth is greater than AM bandwidth.
known as bandwidth.
• FM has a steady current flow and requires less power to
• If different broadcasts are made on frequencies produce since modulating an oscillator producing a
that are too close together, some of the carrier wave takes less power than modulating the
broadcast from one frequency interfere with the amplitude of a signal using an amplifier.
adjacent broadcast due to overlapping side
bands.
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Single Side Band – SSB Loading Information onto a Radio Wave - FM

• In lower frequency ranges, SSB transmissions • FM modulation depth is a measure of how much the
are a narrow bandwidth solution. Each side carrier deviates from its center frequency for a given
band represents the initial information signal in modulation input.
its entirety. In an SSB broadcast, the carrier
• Unlike AM there is no such thing as 100% modulation
wave and either the upper or lower sidebands
(unless the frequency deviates all the way to zero.).
are filtered out.
• From the formula and definition of the modulation index,
• Only one sideband with its frequencies is
it can be seen that there is no term that includes the
broadcast since it contains all of the needed
carrier frequency, and this means that it is totally
information.
independent of the carrier frequency.
• This cuts the bandwidth required in half and
allows more efficient use of the radio spectrum.
• SSB transmissions also use less power to
transmit the same amount of information over
an equal distance. Many HF long distance
aviation communications are SSB.

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