LESSON 5 – SINGLE

SIDEBAND SYSTEM
ECE121 – Principles of Communications
Introduction
 Baseband vs Passband Transmission
• Baseband Signal - Information bearing Signal or
Message Signal.
• The term Baseband refers to the band of frequencies
representing the original signal obtained from the
source (or Base).
• Voice (0-4kHz)
• TV (0-6 MHz)
• A signal may be sent in its baseband format when a
dedicated wired channel is available.
• Otherwise, it must be converted to passband.
 Need for Modulation
• Size of the antenna
• For efficient radiation, the size of the antenna should be λ/10 or more
(preferably around λ/4 ), where λ is the wavelength of the signal to be
radiated.
• Easy to Multiplex
• Several message signals can be transmitted on a given channel, by
assigning to each message signal an appropriate slot in the channel.
• Channel Selectivity
• Each station can be assigned a suitable carrier so that the corresponding
program material can be received by tuning to the station desired.
• Improved Signal to Noise Ratio
• Less Fading of transmitted signal
• As the energy of a signal is proportional to its frequency, fading by the
atmospheric particle is less
 What is Modulation?
• So for better transmission, we need to send a high frequency
signal.
• But message signal is of low frequency.
• If we alter the frequency of message signal, the information will
be lost.
• We can send a high frequency signal which reflects the
characteristics of message signal.
• This high frequency signal is called CARRIER SIGNAL
 What is Modulation?
• The message signal is called MODULATING SIGNAL or
BASEBAND SIGNAL.

• The word modulation means the systematic alteration of one

waveform, called the carrier, according to the characteristic of
another waveform, the modulating signal or the message.

• We use ec(t ) and em(t ), to denote the carrier and the

message waveforms respectively.
 What is Modulation?
• The
resultant signal after modulation is called
MODULATED SIGNAL.

• For study purpose, the commonly used carrier and

message signal is SINUSOIDAL WAVE.

• Transmitter Side - Modulation

• Receiver Side - Demodulation
Types of Modulation
MODULATION
DSB FC
Amplitude DSB SC
Modulation SSB
(AM) VSB

Frequency
Modulation NBFM
(FM) WBFM
Angle
Modulation Phase
NBPM
Modulation
WBPM
(PM)
Types of Amplitude Modulation

Non Linear
AM DSB FC
AM
AMPLITUD
E
MODULATI
AM DSB SC
ON
Linear SSB
AM
VSB
Amplitude Modulation
 Modulation Index
Important conclusion:

1. The envelope of the AM wave has a waveform

that bears a one-to-one correspondence with
that of the message signal if the percentage
modulation is less than or equal to 100%.

2. If percentage modulation > 100%, the

modulated wave is said to suffer from
envelope distortion.
 Features of AM
• AM system is very cheap to build and
maintain.

• AM is wasteful of power - max efficiency is

33%

• AM is wasteful of bandwidth - twice the

message bandwidth is required
Demerits of AM DSB FC

An unmodulated RF
carrier requires narrow
bandwidth

Modulation results in
creation of a carrier and 2
Sidebands. This
requires more power.
Moreover carrier contains
no information.
Why DSB SC?

 The carrier contains no information.

 So we can think of avoiding or suppressing carrier.

Double Sideband Suppressed Carrier AM
• In a conventional AM, transmitting the carrier the whole time is a
waste of power. Moreover, it increases the chance of interfering with
other signals. Information is present only in the sidebands so it is
sensible to transmit only the sideband and to reinsert the carrier at
the receiver by using an oscillator. This is called “Double Sideband
transmission with Suppressed Carrier,” abbreviated as DSBSC.
• Balanced modulators are circuits used to produce double sidebands
by effectively cancelling the carrier at the output.
• The DSBSC is not much used in practice because it is not easy to
reinsert the carrier correctly. The difficulty with using two sidebands
is that if the phase of the reinserted carrier is incorrect, the two
reinserted signals could cancel each other out. Either one of the
sidebands, together with the replacement carrier, can recover the
original modulating signal.
 Introduction
DSB-SC modulation is generated by using a product modulator that
simply multiplies the message signal m(t) by the carrier wave
Eccos(2fct). Specifically, we write:

eam(t) = Ecem(t) cos(2fct)

 Introduction
eDSB (t )  Ec em (t ) cos( 2 f c t ).
The modulated signal eDSB(t) undergoes a phase reversal
whenever the message signal em(t) crosses zero.

This is called double side-band suppressed carrier

(DSB-SC) modulation.
1. Transmission bandwidth is same as standard AM.
2. Transmitted power is less than that used by standard
AM.
 Signal Representation

Double-sideband-suppressed carrier modulation. (a) Message

signal. (b) DSB-SC modulated wave, resulting from multiplication of
the message signal by the sinusoidal carrier wave.
 Spectrum Representation
• The envelope of a DSB-SC signal is different from
the message signal; unlike the case of an AM wave
that has a percentage modulation < 100 %.
Spectrum of AM DSB SC
Because it doesn’t
have components of
the carrier, we call
this kind of
modulation
suppressed carrier
Modulators
Product Modulator
• Balanced Modulator
• Ring Modulator (Double Balanced Modulator)
Product Modulator
Balanced Modulator
Balanced Ring Modulator
• One of the circuits which is capable of creating DSBSC is
the double balance ring modulator.
• Essentially, diodes D1 to D4 are electronic switches that
determines whether the modulating signal is passed from
the input transformer to the output transformer as is or
with a 180° phase shift.
 26

DSB-SC - Summary
• Advantages:
• Lower power consumption

• Disadvantage:
- Complex detection

• Applications:
- Analogue TV systems: to transmit colour information
- For transmitting stereo information in FM sound broadcast
at VHF
SINGLE SIDEBAND
SYSTEM
Single-Sideband modulation (SSB) 
• is a refinement of amplitude modulation that more efficiently
uses transmitter power and bandwidth.
• Amplitude modulation produces an output signal that has twice
the bandwidth of the original baseband signal.
• Single-sideband modulation avoids this bandwidth doubling, and
the power wasted on a carrier, at the cost of increased device
complexity and more difficult tuning at the receiver.
• There are three methods of generating a single sideband signal,
namely, filter method, phase shifting method and weaver method.
Each method employs a balanced modulator to suppress the
carrier.
• With the SSB system, the amount of power used can be
minimized and more importantly, the bandwidth is narrowed to
half.
Why SSB?

 The carrier contains no audio information.

The sidebands contains duplicated information

 Introduction to SSB
• Two main parameters to be considered while designing a
Communication System are :
1. Transmission Power
2. Transmission Bandwidth.

• In AM DSB FC, both are very high.

• In AM DSB SC Transmission Power is less than AM DSB FC,

but Transmission Bandwidth is same as that of AM DSB FC.
 Introduction to SSB
• In AM SSB SC or SSB, only one Sideband will be Transmitted
(Both the Sidebands contain the same information).

• The Transmission Power as well as the Transmission

Bandwidth can be reduced.

• Transmission Bandwidth will be reduced to half of that of

AM DSB FC & AM DSB SC.

• To accomplish these merits, the Equipment Design in more

Complex.
Single Sideband Full Carrier, H3E
• A form of amplitude modulation in which the carrier is
transmitted at full power but only one of the sidebands is
transmitted
• The SSBFC requires less bandwidth than the
conventional double sideband AM, but also produces a
demodulated signal with a lower amplitude.
SSB Waveform at 100% Modulation
 2
EC
PC 
PLSB 
Pc m 2 2R PUSB  0
4

Power Spectrum of the SSBFC

Single Sideband Suppressed Carrier, J3E
• A form of amplitude modulation in which the carrier is
totally suppressed and one of the sidebands is removed.
• The SSBSC requires half as much bandwidth as the
conventional double sideband AM and less transmitted
power

SSBSC Waveform
 Power Spectrum of SSBSC

Pc m 2 PC  0
PLSB  PUSB  0
4

• In SSBSC, the sideband power constitutes 100% of the

total power. The SSBSC requires less total power than the
conventional AM. At 100% modulation, 83.3% of power is
saved by suppressing the carrier and one of the
sidebands.
Comparison of the common AM Transmission
Systems
Single Sideband Reduced Carrier, R3E
• A form of amplitude modulation in which
one of the sidebands is totally removed and
the carrier voltage is reduced to
approximately 10% of its unmodulated
amplitude
• To produce a reduced carrier component,
the carrier is totally suppressed during
modulation and then reinserted at reduced
amplitude.
Independent Sideband, B8E
• A form of amplitude modulation in which a single
carrier frequency is independently modulated by
two different modulating signals
• The ISB is a form of double sideband
transmission in which the transmitter consists of
two independent single-sideband suppressed
carrier modulators. The outputs of the two
modulators are combined to form a double
sideband signal.
ISB Transmitter
AM Vestigial Sideband, C3F
• A form of amplitude modulation in which the
carrier frequency and one complete
sideband is transmitted, but only part of the
second sideband is transmitted.
• The most widely known VSB is the picture
portion of an analog commercial television
broadcasting signal.
Comparison of Frequency Spectrum and
Relative Power Distribution
 SSB Modulators

• Frequency Discriminator
• Generating SSB signal from DSB SC signal by
using BPF

• Phase Discriminator
• Generating SSB signal by using Hilbert Transform
Single Side Band Generation
Filter Method
•Phase Shift Method
 Single Sideband Transmitter Rating

2
 V pk 
 
 2 
PEP 
R
Where:
PEP = peak envelope power, (W)
VPK = peak voltage, (V)
R = load resistance, (Ω)
PRACTICE PROBLEMS
Problem 1
• For an AM DSBFC wave with a peak
unmodulated voltage of 10 V and a load
resistance of 10, the given modulation index is
0.5. Determine the following:
a) The carrier and the sideband power
b) The total power
c) The percent power of the information
d) The power spectrum
a) b)
 m2 
Ec
2
PT  Pc 1  
Pc   2 
2R
 0 .5 2 
10 2 PT  51  
Pc   2 
210 
PT  5.625W
Pc  5W
c) PSB
2
m Pc % PSB  x100%
PSB  PT
2
0.625
 0.5  5
2 % PSB  x100%
PSB  5.625
2
PSB  0.625W % PSB  11 .11 %
d)

5W

0.3125 W 0.3125 W

LSB USB
Problem 2
• Calculate the percentage power saving when the carrier
and one of the sidebands is suppressed in an AM signal if
the modulation index is a) 100% and b) 25%.

a) m 1 SSBSC
P.S
DSBFC m 2 Pc % P.S .  x100%
PT  PTDS BFC
 m2  4
PT  Pc 1  
 2  12 Pc % P.S . 
1.25 Pc
x100%
PT  1.5 Pc
 12  4
PT  Pc 1  
 2 
PT  0.25 Pc % P.S .  83.33%
PT  1.5 Pc
P.S  1.25 Pc
 SSBSC
b) m  0.25
DSBFC  m2 
PS  Pc 1  
 m2   4 
PT  Pc 1  
 2   
0.25 2
 0.252  PS  Pc 1  
PT  Pc 1    4 
 2 
PT  1.03125 Pc PS  1.015625 Pc

P.S
% P.S .  x100%
PTDS BFC
1.015625 Pc
% P.S . 
1.03125 Pc
x100% % P.S .  98.485%
Problem 3
• For a 500-W carrier modulated to a depth of 80%, find the
total power and the % P.S in each of the following forms of
AM.
 m2 
a) J3E Pc 1  
 4 
b) H3E % PS  x100%
 m 
2
c) DSB Pc 1  
 2 
a) J 3E
1.16
% PS  x100%
2
m Pc 0.8  500 
2
1.32
PT  
4 4
% PS  87.87%
PT  80W
b) H 3E
m 2 Pc 0.82  500 
PT  Pc   500 
4 4

PT  580W

m 2 Pc
% PS  4 x100%
 m2 
Pc 1  
 2 
0.16
% PS  x100%
1.32

% PS  12.12%
c) DSBSC
m 2 Pc 0.82  500 
PT  
2 2

PT  160W

Pc
% PS  x100%
 m 
2

Pc 1  
 2 

1
% PS  x100%
1.32

% PS  75.76%
Problem 4
• An AM wave has a total transmitted power of 4 kW when
modulated at 85%. How much total power should an SSB
wave contain in order to have the same power content as
that in the two sidebands?

 m2  m 2 Pc
PT  Pc 1   PSB 
 2  2
 0.852  PSB  1016.524W
4000  Pc 1  
 2 

Pc  2938.476W
Problem 5
• If a transmitter power of 100 W is sufficient for reliable
communication over a certain path using the SSB,
approximately what power level would be required using
the H3E?
SSBFC
m 2 Pc m 2 Pc
PT  PT  Pc 
4 4
2
1 Pc  12 
100  PT  4001  
4  4 

Pc  400W PT  500W
Problem 6
• What is the maximum modulating signal frequency that
can be used in a J3E system with a 50-kHz bandwidth?

BW  f m

f m  50kHz
Problem 7
• A filter-type SSB generator uses an ideal bandpass filter
with a center frequency of 5.000 MHz and a bandwidth of
2.7 kHz. What frequency should be used for the carrier
oscillator if the generator is to produce a LSB signal with a
baseband frequency response having a lower limit of 280
Hz?
em BPF

eC
f c  5MHz   2.7 kHz / 2   280Hz

f c  5.00163MHz
Problem 8
• An SSBSC signal has a suppressed carrier frequency of
2MHz. It is modulated with two audio tones having
frequencies of 1500 and 2200 Hz. The receiver is mistuned
so that the BFO is at 1.9995MHz. What will be the output
frequencies of the demodulator if the signal is LSB?
f r1   f c  f m1   BFO
 
f r1  2 x10 6  1500  1.9995 x10 6
f r1  1000 Hz

f r 2   f c  f m 2   BFO
 
f r 2  2 x10 6  2200  1.9995 x106
f r 2  1700 Hz
Problem 9
• A J3E transmitter operating at 16 MHz has a frequency
stability of 1 part per million. If its transmission is
reproduced by a receiver whose frequency stability is 8
parts per million, what is the maximum frequency error of
the output of this receiver in reproducing this
transmission?
f error  f o  fst  fs r 
6 1  8 
f error  16 x10  6  6 
 1x10  1x10 
4
f error  1.28 X 10 Hz
Problem 10
• The CB radio was developed using a full-carrier DSB AM.
It operates using 40 channels, each 10 kHz wide. When
the SSBSC is used, the same carrier frequencies are
used as with the conventional AM, but the transceivers
are switchable to either a lower or an upper sideband.
How many channels are available when the SSB is used?

BWDSB  2 f m BWSSB  f m

# channels  80
Problem 11
• What is the power saving of a double sideband full carrier
AM signal at 50% modulation, if the emission used is
J3E?
 m2 
Pc 1  
 4  1.0625
% PS  x100% % PS  x100%
 m  2 1.125
Pc 1  
 2 
% PS  94.44%
 0.5 2 
1  
 4 
% PS  x100%
 0.5 
2
1  
 2 
Problem 12
• What is the maximum modulating signal frequency that
can be used with a H3E system with 50-kHz bandwidth?

BW  f m

f m  50kHz
Problem 13
• An AM transmission 1000W is fully modulated. Calculate
the power transmitted if it is transmitted as a SSB signal.

 m2 
PT  Pc 1   m 2 Pc
 2  PT 
4
 12  12  666.67 
1000  Pc 1   PT 
 2  4

Pc  666.67W PT  166.67W
Problem 14
• A SSB transmission drives 110-Vpk into a 75- antenna.
Calculate the PEP.
2
 V pk 
 
 2 
PEP 
R
2
 110 
 
PEP  
2
75 PEP  80.67W
Problem 15
• An SSB transmitter has a PEP 10 kW, what is the average
power?
PEP PEP
PAVE  PAVE 
4 3

10 x103 10 x103
PAVE  PAVE 
4 3

PAVE  2500W PAVE  3333.334W