Dr.

Chao Wang EEE203 Signals and Systems I Page 1 of 8

Tutorial: Amplitude Modulation

Modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a periodic waveform, called the
carrier signal (typically of very high frequency), with a modulating signal that generally contains
information to be transmitted. There are two motivating reasons for modulation:

1) Modulation allows for the use of small antennae in message transmission therefore
making the application portable e.g. mobile phones.
2) It also allows us to multiplex, or share, a communication medium among many
concurrently active users through the choice of different carrier frequencies separated by
a frequency gap band. This technique is known as Frequency Division Multiplexing.

Radio, television, GPS, mobile phones and all other wireless communications devices transmit
information across distances using electromagnetic waves. To send these waves across long
distances in free space, the frequency of the transmitted signal must be quite high compared to
the frequency of the information signal. This keeps aliasing at bay as well as help keep antenna
sizes small. For example, a voice signal has a bandwidth of about 4 KHz. The typical frequency of
the transmitted and received signal is several hundreds of megahertz to a few gigahertz.

Antenna size is in general proportional to wavelength of the transmitted electromagnetic waves.

Let us look at how the antenna size can be made smaller with higher carrier frequencies. For
example, the wavelength of a 1 GHz electromagnetic wave in free space is 30 cm, whereas a 1 kHz
electromagnetic wave is one million times larger, 300 km, it would be impossible to build and
power such a behemoth!

Communication that uses modulation to shift the frequency spectrum of a signal is known as
carrier communication. In this mode, one of the basic parameters (amplitude, frequency, or phase)
of a sinusoidal carrier of high frequency ωc is varied in proportion to baseband signal m(t). We will
focus on amplitude modulation in this tutorial. We will interchangeably use the notations (ω and
f) to represent frequency. f denotes the frequency of a sinusoidal signal in Hz, whereas ω is the
frequency in rad/sec.

1. Amplitude Modulation
Amplitude modulation is characterized by the fact that the amplitude A of the carrier signal 𝒄(𝒕) is
varied in proportion to the amplitude of the modulating (message) signal m(t). The frequency and
the phase of the carrier are fixed. The carrier signal 𝒄(𝒕) is represented as

𝒄(𝒕) = 𝑨𝒄𝒐𝒔(𝝎𝒄 𝒕 + 𝜽𝒄 ). (1)

For simplicity, we can assume that 𝜽𝒄 = 𝟎 in the carrier signal. If the carrier amplitude A is made
directly proportional to the modulating signal m(t), we obtain the signal 𝒎(𝒕)𝐜𝐨𝐬(𝝎𝒄 𝒕). When

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the carrier signal 𝑨𝒄𝒐𝒔(𝝎𝒄 𝒕) is added to this signal, the resulting amplitude modulated signal
𝝋𝑨𝑴 (𝒕) is represented as:

𝜑𝑨𝑴 (𝒕) = (𝑨 + 𝒎(𝑡))cos(𝜔𝑐 𝑡). (2)

Figure 1 illustrates the amplitude modulation. The modulating (message) signal is multiplied by
the carrier signal. The modulating signal forms the envelope of the modulated signal.

Figure 1. Illustration of Amplitude Modulation.

Let the Fourier transform of the modulating signal be denoted by M(jω), i.e.,

𝐹
𝑚(𝑡) ↔ 𝑀(𝑗𝜔) (3)

The time and frequency domain plots of the modulating signal is shown in Figure 2.

2α

Figure 2. Modulating signal m(t) in time (left) and frequency (right).

What is the Fourier transform of the amplitude modulated signal 𝜱𝑨𝑴 (𝑗𝜔)? You can get a hint
from the time and frequency domain plots of the modulated signal from Figure 3.

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Figure 3. Modulated signal in time (left) and frequency (right).

As shown in Figure 3, there is a replication of the spectrum of the modulating signal, each centered
around –ωc and ωc. A portion that lies above the ωc is called Upper Side Band (USB) and a portion
lies below ωc is called Lower Side Band (LSB). For each replication the amplitude is half of the
original height, i.e., reduced from 2α to α. Why are there impulses at –ωc and ωc?

2. Amplitude Demodulation
Demodulation can be performed in two different ways.
 Coherent Demodulation: This assumes that the carrier signal with same frequency and
phase can be generated at the receiver for demodulation.
 Non-Coherent Demodulation: This directly demodulates the received signal from its
envelope without requiring the carrier signal. The envelope detector can be implemented
very inexpensively using a half wave rectifier followed by a low pass filter.

Here, we will describe coherent demodulation, as it is very similar to the modulation process
and easy to demonstrate and understand. Recall the scheme of modulation shifts the spectrum
of the message signal by multiplying it with the carrier signal. Hence, demodulation requires the
shifting of the spectrum back to the original location. To achieve this, we multiply again the
modulated signal with the carrier signal, as described in Figure 4 and Figure 5.

Figure 4. Demodulation.

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α
α/2 α/2

Figure 5. Frequency spectrum of modulated signal multiplied by the carrier. The dashed line
indicates the frequency response of a low pass filter used to extract the demodulated signal.

The received modulated signal is φ𝐴𝑀 (𝑡) = (𝐴 + 𝑚(𝑡))cos(𝜔𝑐 𝑡). Multiplying it with cos(𝜔𝑐 𝑡)
results in the signal r(t) given by

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𝑟(𝑡) = (𝐴 + 𝑚(𝑡))cos2(𝜔𝑐 𝑡) = (𝐴 + 𝑚(𝑡))(1 + cos(2𝜔𝑐 𝑡)) (4)
2

What is the Fourier transform R(jω) of r(t)? Again you can get a hint from Figure 5.

As shown in Figure 5, one part of the demodulated signal spectrum is centered at zero
frequency and the other part is centered at ±2ωc. In order to retrieve the original message signal
M(jω), and to remove the high frequency components, r(t) is passed through a low pass filter
with a cutoff frequency greater than the bandwidth B Hz of the message signal. What about the
impulse at zero frequency? How to remove it?

3. Modulation Index
Modulation index (µ) is defined as the ratio between the peak value of the message signal and
the amplitude of the carrier signal. This indicates how much the modulated signal varies around
its original level. The value of µ < 1 results in under-modulation and µ > 1 results in over-
modulation. Over-modulation results in erroneous signal reconstruction if non-coherent
demodulation (envelope detection) is used, but in case of coherent demodulation, any value of µ
provides reconstruction.

Figure 6 shows modulated signals with different modulation index value. The carrier signal has
amplitude of 1. The modulating baseband signal has amplitude of 0.5, 1 and 1.5.

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Figure 6. Modulated signal with modulation index µ = 0.5, µ = 1 and µ = 1.51

4. Example
Suppose the modulating signal is a 100Hz cosine signal, i.e., 𝑚(𝑡) = cos(2𝜋100𝑡). The signal
and its Fourier transform (FFT, magnitude) are shown in Figure 7. In the frequency domain, you
can see two impulses located at -100Hz and 100Hz, i.e., the frequency of the cosine signal.

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Figure 7. Time domain and frequency domain plots of modulating signal

𝑚(𝑡) = cos(2𝜋100𝑡)

The modulating message signal 𝑚(𝑡) is then modulated by a carrier signal 𝑐(𝑡) =
2𝑐𝑜𝑠(2𝜋1000𝑡). The modulated signal 𝜑𝐴𝑀 (𝑡) = (2 + 𝑚(𝑡))cos(2𝜋1000𝑡) and its FFT are
shown in Figure 8. In the time domain, the amplitude of the carrier signal is modulated by the
message as shown by its envelope. The amplitude varies from 1 to 3 due to the 0.5 modulation
index. In the frequency domain, the spectrum of the modulating signal is split into two, one half
shifts to the left by 1000Hz, and the other half shifts to the right by 1000Hz. The impulses at -
1000Hz and 1000Hz are the FFT of the carrier signal 𝑐(𝑡).

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Figure 8. Time domain and frequency domain plots of modulated signal

𝜑𝐴𝑀 (𝑡) = (2 + 𝑚(𝑡))cos(2𝜋1000𝑡)

To demodulate the signal, multiple it by cos(2𝜋1000𝑡), i.e., 𝑟(𝑡) = 𝜑𝐴𝑀 (𝑡) cos(2𝜋1000𝑡) =
(2 + 𝑚(𝑡))cos2 (2𝜋1000𝑡). The signal 𝑟(𝑡) and its FFT are shown in Figure 9. In the frequency
domain, the spectrum of 𝜑𝐴𝑀 (𝑡) is split into two, one half shifts to the left by 1000Hz, and the
other half shifts to the right by 1000Hz. Therefore, the cluster around -1000Hz in Figure 8 is shifted
to -2000Hz and 0Hz, and the cluster around 1000Hz in Figure 8 is shifted to 0Hz and 2000Hz, as
shown in Figure 9. Now if we pass 𝑟(𝑡) through a low pass filter to get rid of the two clusters
around ±2000Hz, and remove the DC component (the impulse at 0Hz), and scale it properly, we
can get the original signal 𝑚(𝑡) back.

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Figure 9. Time domain and frequency domain plots of demodulated signal

𝑟(𝑡) = 𝜑𝐴𝑀 (𝑡) cos(2𝜋1000𝑡) = (2 + 𝑚(𝑡))cos2(2𝜋1000𝑡)

One last note, the amplitude modulation scheme discussed in this tutorial is often referred to as
“double sideband, full carrier” amplitude modulation. There are variations of this basic scheme.
Refer to this article for a quick introduction.