L8: SSB and VSB

Lower SSB using a Hilbert transformer (Proakis & Salehi.)

L8 1
 SSB via Band-Pass Filters
(PS pp. 81-85; CC pp. 185-91)

Approach B.

Step 1: Generate DSB-SC signal

SDSBSC ( f )  Ac M ( f  f c )  Ac M ( f  f c )

(for consistency with Approach A, carrier amplitude = 2Ac )

Step 2: Pass through ideal BPF with passband [ f c , f c  BBPF ],

BBPF  W .

L8 2
 SSB via BPF, cont.

Output is then desired SSB spectrum,

Both approaches A & B above are for upper single-side band

modulation.

Similar set-ups for lower single sideband modulation.

L8 3
 SSB Demodulation

Assuming no channel distortion, also 2 possible ways to

demodulate:

Approach 1: As
~ (t)  m(t)  jm̂(t)  s (t) / A ,
m
l c

Message  in-phase component of SSB signal. So just use the

Hilbert transform set-up:

sc (t)  s(t) cos(2f ct)  ŝ(t)sin(2f ct)  Ac m(t).

L8 4
 Demodulation Using LPF
Approach 2: Conceptually simpler.

Step 1: Mix SSB signal with local carrier:

v(t )  s (t ) cos(2f ct )  Ac m(t ) cos(2f ct )  mˆ (t ) sin(2f ct )  cos(2f ct ),
 0.5 Ac m(t )  0.5 Ac m(t ) cos(4f ct )  0.5 Ac mˆ (t ) sin(4f ct ).

SSB signal at 2 f c Hz

Step 2: Apply LPF with

W  BLPF  2 f c .

L8 5
 Synchronisation

As with DSB-SC, SSB demodulation requires local oscillator with

exactly same frequency and phase as carrier.

Say phase is out by  rad. Then

v(t ) : s (t ) cos(2f c t   )  Ac m(t ) cos(2f c t )  mˆ (t ) sin( 2f c t )  cos(2f c t   ),

 0.5 Ac m(t )cos( )  cos(4f c t   )   0.5 Ac mˆ (t )sin( )  sin( 4f c t   ) ,
 0.5 Ac cos( )m(t )  sin( )mˆ (t )   0.5 Ac m(t ) cos(4f c t   )  mˆ (t ) sin( 4f c t   ) .

BP signal at 2 f c Hz

mrec (t)  0.5Ac cos( )m(t)  sin( )m̂(t) .

L8 6
 Phase Distortion due to Phase Offset

In frequency domain,

M rec ( f )  0.5Ac cos( )M ( f )  0.5Acsin( )j sgn( f )M ( f ),

e- j M ( f ) if f  0,
 0.5Ac   j
 e M ( f ) if f  0.

I.e., no magnitude distortion due to phase offset, only phase

distortion:

Moderate  tolerable for telephony, but not music or video.

L8 7
 Low Frequency Distortion

SSB uses half the channel BW as DSB-SC. However, like AM it

is unsuitable for messages with low freq. content.

Reason: difficult to design sharp transitions in Hilbert transformer

phase response and BPF magnitude response.

This transition band occurs at low message freq.s

 Low freq. distortion.

L8 8
 Low Frequency Distortion

Unlike voice, base-band TV & video signal - i.e. current that flows
through photosensitive surface in camera – has significant low
frequency components.

(Low freq.  features in scene that do not change much with

time, such as ambient light level, still shots etc.)

SSB unsuitable, since difficult to design filters with sharp enough

transitions to avoid low freq. distortion.

DSB-SC – no such issues, but uses 2x bandwidth as SSB. As

BW of TV signal is  6 MHz, huge waste!

L8 9
 Vestigial Side‐Band (VSB) Modulation
(PS pp. 85-88; CCR pp. 191-193)

Compromise between SSB & DSB-SC.

Want to reduce BW of transmitted signal but cannot design filter

to perfectly suppress lower (upper) SB’s & pass upper (lower)
SB’s.
On the other hand, do not want to just pass both SB’s, as in DSB-
SC.

So, partially pass upper (lower) SB’s and suppress most of lower
(upper) SB’s, except for a vestige.

L8 10
 VSB Filter Symmetry
• Design VSBF so that for any | w | W
H VSB ( f c  w)  H VSB ( f c  w)  2.
• i. e. within [ f c  W , f c  W ] , VSBF has odd symmetry about  f c Hz. Outside 

transition band [ f c   , f c   ],

( 2 if f c    f  f c  W ,
H VSB f )  
 0 if 0  f  f c   .
(assumes upper sideband )

L8 11
VSBF for Lower Sideband (Proakis & Salehi)

L8 12
 Reason for Symmetry

Basic idea: want to demodulate VSB signal in same way as DSB-

SC & SSB. I.e. mix with local osc. & then apply LPF.

Want resulting baseband spectrum  M ( f ).

S dem ( f )  S VSB ( f  f c )  S VSB ( f  f c )H LPF ( f ),
 [H VSB ( f  f c )S DSB ( f  f c )  H VSB ( f  f c )S DSB ( f  f c )]H LPF ( f ),
 H VSB ( f  f c )M ( f )  M ( f  2 f c )H LPF ( f )
 H VSB ( f  f c )M ( f )  M ( f  2 f c )H LPF ( f ),
 H VSB ( f  f c )M ( f )  H VSB ( f  f c )M ( f ),
 H VSB ( f  f c )  H VSB ( f  f c )M ( f )  2M ( f ).

L8 13
 Envelope Detection of VSB or SSB
But VSB used in TV broadcast  Need cheap receivers.

 Often combined with AM: VSB + C

Quad. comp.

 
s (t )  Ac 1  m(t )  cos(2f c t )  Ac  (t ) sin( 2f c t ).

 Envelope  Ac 1  0.5m(t ) 2   (t ) 2 .

If  small or |  (t) || m(t) |,

Envelope  1   m(t),

so we can use envelope detection.

L8 14
 Transition BW Selection

VSB is a compromise between SSB & DSB-SC.

When transition bandwidth 2   0, VSB resembles ideal SSB

filter  VSB signal  SSB signal and
 (t)  SSB quad. comp.  m̂(t).

When   W , VSB filter looks like ideal BPF centred at carrier

freq  VSB signal  DSB-SC signal with 2 SB’s &
 (t)  DSB - SC quad. comp.  0.

 For envelope detection,  should not be too small.

L8 15