DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY-DASMARIAS

College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

ECET412L- PRINCIPLE OF COMMUNICATIONS LABORATORY

Expt. No. 4
Double Sideband AM with Full Carrier (DSBFC)

Submitted By:
Maria Rosalina C. Reyes
ECE41

August 19, 2014

Engr. Conrado D. Monzon

Instructor

OBJECTIVES
1. To investigate the dynamic characteristics of Double Sideband Full Carrier AM
2.
3.
4.
5.

signals.
To observe the behaviour of DSBFC AM signals with different modulating signals.
To calculate the depth of modulation in AM using different methods.
To investigate the effects of overmodulation in AM signals.
To investigate the spectral characteristic of DSBFC.

THEORY/DISCUSSION
Double sideband (DSB) is one of the easiest modulation techniques to
understand, so it is a good starting point for the study of modulation. A type of DSB,
called binary phase-shift keying, is used for digital telemetry. Amplitude modulation (AM)
is similar to DSB but has the advantage of permitting a simpler demodulator, the
envelope detector. AM is used for broadcast radio, aviation radio, citizens band (CB)
radio, and short-wave broadcasting.
In radio communications, a sideband is a band of frequencies higher than or
lower than the carrier frequency, containing power as a result of the modulation
process. The sidebands consist of all the Fourier components of the modulated signal
except the carrier. All forms of modulation produce sidebands.
Amplitude modulation of a carrier wave normally results in two mirror-image
sidebands. The signal components above the carrier frequency constitute the upper
sideband (USB), and those below the carrier frequency constitute the lower sideband
(LSB). In conventional AM transmission, the carrier and both sidebands are present,
sometimes called double sideband amplitude modulation (DSB-AM).

In communication systems information is transmitted from one place to another

using electrical signals. Usually the information bearing signals are not suitable for
transmission due to its propagation qualities . Also, since these signals generally exist in
the same frequency range it is necessary to transmit them using different frequency
allocations to avoid interference. One of the methods used to solve these problems is
linear modulation, which is merely the frequency translation of the spectrum of the
information signal to a usually much higher frequency. The translated spectrum can be
modified before transmission in different forms resulting in different linear modulation
schemes. Specifically, there are four linear modulation methods: double-sideband
(DSB) (also known as double-sideband with suppressed carrier DSB-SC), amplitude
modulation (AM) or DSB-LC (large carrier), single-sideband (SSB) and vestigialsideband (VSB). This experiment examines the characteristics of the DSB modulation.

DATA AND RESULTS

SINUSOIDAL WAVE

Diagram 1. Modulating and Carrier Signals

Vp-p: 4.4 V

Diagram 2. Modulating and Modulated Signal

Vary the frequency and amplitude of the modulating signal. What do you observe?
Overmodulation was observed.
Measure the peak-to-peak values of the maximums (A) and the minimums (B)
AM signal.
A= 6.48 V

B= 2.4 V

Calculate the depth of modulation, m, using the formula:

of the

m= (A-B)/(A+B)
m= .44

%m= 44%
m= Vm/Vc

m= .45

%m= 45%

Compare the results.

The results gave off almost the same answers.

Diagram 3. Trapezoidal Pattern of AM Wave

Measure the longer vertical side of the trapezoid.

A= 6.5 V
Measure the shorter vertical side of the trapezoid.
B= 2.4 V
Calculate the depth of modulation, m, using the formula above as above with the
measurements obtained in the trapezoidal pattern.
m= .46

%m= 46%

What do you observe?

Based from the results obtained. The values of m, from the previous results is almost
the same with the trapezoidal pattern result.

Diagram 4. Dynamic Characteristic of Overmodulated AM

Table 1. Spectrum of DSBFC

f (kHz)
18
20
22

MEASURED
Vcm (volt)
-12.5 dB
3.45 dB
-12.9 dB

THEORY
f (kHz)
18
20
22

Diagram 5. Spectral Characteristic of DSBFC

Vcm (volt)
2.4
4.4
6.4

Table 2. Spectrum of DSBFC

f (kHz)
16.9
20
23.1

MEASURED
Vcm (volt)
-5.75 dB
3.45 dB
-5.79 dB

f (kHz)
17
20
23

Diagram 6. Spectral Characteristic of DSBFC

SQUARE WAVE

THEORY

Diagram 1. Modulating and Carrier Signals

Vcm (volt)
3.4
4.4
5.4

Diagram 2. Modulating and Modulated Signal

Overmodulation was observed.

Measure the peak-to-peak values of the maximums (A) and the minimums (B)
AM signal.
A= 6.6 V

B= 2.4 V

Calculate the depth of modulation, m, using the formula:

m= (A-B)/(A+B)
m= .47

%m= 47%

m= Vm/Vc
m= .45

%m= 45%

of the

Compare the results.

Both of them yield the same result.

Diagram 3. Trapezoidal Pattern of AM Wave

Measure the longer vertical side of the trapezoid.

A= 6.6 V
Measure the shorter vertical side of the trapezoid.
B= 2.4 V
Calculate the depth of modulation, m, using the formula above as above with the
measurements obtained in the trapezoidal pattern.
m= .47

%m= 47%

What do you observe?

The trapezoidal pattern of the AM wave is the same with the previous results of m.

Diagram 4. Dynamic Characteristic of Overmodulated AM

OBSERVATION/CONCLUSION
Based form the experiment conducted, the Double Sideband Full Carrier is one
type of amplitude modulation. The carrier is then enveloped by the modulating signal
where it is being transmitted with a variation in its amplitude. This is one characteristic
of an AM signal. In a DSFBFC signal, the modulating signal, the upper sideband and the
lower sideband does not intersect each other. One characteristic an AM signal that is
also being exhibited by a DSBFC signal is the depth modulation. Depth modulation can
be calculated in many ways. First, by getting its peak-to-peak values of the minimums
and maximums of the signal and by simply getting the ratio of its sum and difference a
value of m can be obtained. Second, by getting the V m and Vc of the signal and dividing
them. Lastly, the trapezoidal pattern method by determining the shorter and longer side
vertical side of the trapezoid, m can be determined. Any of these three methods will
yield to the same result. Overmodulated AM gives of more than 100% modulation of the
carrier, wherein the modulating signal creates smaller enveloped signals. This is
commonly a fault in transmission. It is referred to as off the scale signal. The spectral
characteristic of the AM signal gives the view wherein the signal is plotted in frequency
vs. time. The DSBFC spectral characteristics shows three frequencies. The frequency

itself, the modulating frequency and the carrier frequency. Based on observation, these
three were seen. The amplitude of the frequency is longer and the amplitude of the f m
and fc were the same, showing the sidebands.
REFERENCES
http://nptel.ac.in/courses/IIT-MADRAS/Principles_Of_Communication/pdf/Lecture1920_AM_DSB-SC.pdf
http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/107128/what-is-overmodulation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amplitude_modulation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_sideband
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overmodulation