Communications by Kennedy

Chapter 1: Introduction to Communications Systems

1840s - communications started with wire telegraphy

Information it conveys the message
Transmitter converts the information so as to make it suitable for transmission
and subsequent reception
Noise unwanted energy, has a random characteristics, mostly noticeable in
channel and in the input of the receiver
Receiver performs demodulation
Continuous-wave (CW) system the signal is interrupted periodically (Morse
Code)
Need for Modulation
a) Impractical
-the length of antenna to be used should be a quarter wavelength of the
frequency used

b) Avoid interference
c) More spectrum space on higher frequencies

Chapter 2: Noise
Noise
- tend to interfere with the proper reception and reproduction of transmitted
signals
- has a limiting effect on the signal

Classifications of Noise
1. External Noise
- different forms of noise created outside the receiver
a) Atmospheric noise
- generally called static noise
- strange sound are produced by spurious or false radio waves
- static is caused by lightning discharges, random in nature and
almost spread over the RF spectrum normally used for
broadcasting
- becomes less severe at frequencies about 30MHz

Note: Field strength is inversely proportional to the frequency, therefore the noise
interfere more with the reception of radio than that of television
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b) Extraterrestrial Noise
i.Solar Noise
- produced by corona flares and sunspots
- solar cycle disturbances occur every 11 years

ii.Cosmic noise
- distant stars are also suns
- it becomes significant because of great numbers of stars even
though it is distant
- also called as thermal or black-body noise
- observable at frequencies in the range from about 8MHz to
1.43GHz

c) Industrial Noise
- between the frequencies of 1 to 600Mhz
- hard to analyze because of its variable nature

2. Internal Noise
- came from active and passive devices

Note: Random noise power is proportional to the bandwidth over which it is measured

a) Thermal Agitation Noise (white or Johnson noise)

- noise generated in a resistance or the resistance component is
random
due to rapid and random motion of molecules inside the component
-
itself
b) Shot noise
caused by random variations in the arrival of electrons at the output
-
electrode of an amplifying device
c) Transit time noise
occurs at upper VHF range and beyond
-
d) Miscellaneous noise
Flicker noise
- non-significant above 500Hz
- found in transistors
Resistance noise
Noise in mixers
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Chapter 3: Amplitude Modulation

Amplitude Modulation
- system of modulation in which the amplitude of the carrier is made
proportional to the amplitude of the modulating signal (or modulating voltage
or information signal).
- the amplitude of the carrier is varied by the information signal and therefore
no modulation means no variation on the carriers amplitude.
- Distortion occurs when modulating voltage is greater than the carrier voltage
and happens when the amplifier stage is overdriven.
- The bandwidth required for amplitude modulation is twice the highest
frequency of the modulating signal.

Generation of AM
a) Low-level Modulation
- modulation is applied at any other point
b) High-level Modulation
- the output stage of the transmitter is plate-modulated

Note: It is not feasible to use plate modulation of the output stage in a television
transmitter because of the difficulty in generating high video powers of the large bandwidths
required. Grid modulation of the output stage is the highest level of modulation
employed in TV transmitters. It is called high level modulation TV broadcasting, and
anything else is then called low-level modulation
 Communications by Kennedy

Grid-modulated Class C amplifier

- lower power consumption needed in comparison with plate modulation
- not often used

Plate-modulated Class C amplifier

- most widely used method of amplitude modulation for broadcasting and
other high-power transmission applications

Chapter 4: Single Sideband Techniques

Importance: In conventional AM (DSBFC or A3E) contains the carrier and the two
sidebands. Either of the sidebands contains the information (redundant). In order to
save power, carrier and either one of the sidebands are suppressed. Suppressing the
carrier and one of the sidebands would also save or occupy less bandwidth and still
intelligible information is achieved.
 Communications by Kennedy

Applications: Systems that requires power saving and less bandwidth

Point-to-point communications
Land,air and maritime mobile communications
Television
Telemetry
Military communications
Radio navigation
Amateur radio

Balanced Modulator
- Used to suppress the carrier of the modulated signal
- Either diode balanced modulator or FET balanced modulator is used

Suppression of the Unwanted Sideband

The Filter System

- After the balanced modulator, a filter is implemented to suppress a
sideband
- The filter commonly used are LC, crystal, ceramic or mechanical
depending on the carrier frequency and other requirements

Figure 4-4. SSB transmitter

Note: Linear amplifiers are used in any AM system in which low or no signal distortion is a
requirement.