Commercial broadcasting

using electromagnetic radiation

over the airways
began in the early part of the 20th century
with the invention of the AM radio.

The first regular radio broadcast was started by radio

station WWJ of Detroit and KDKA of Pittsburgh in
1920.

Today the broadcast industry consists of thousands of

AM, FM and TV stations.
The frequency allocation and the licensing of airway
transmission in the United States is regulated by the
Federal Communication Commission (FCC).
 AM radio Broadcasting and Reception

A radio transmitter is a device that transmits

information by means of radio waves.

The signal intelligence is translated in terms of a high

frequency wave commonly known as Carrier wave.

The process of intelligence translation into high

frequency is known as Modulation.
 AM broadcast transmitters are used in large numbers for
transmission of music, speech, talk or light entertainment
programmes for general public.
The block diagram of an AM broadcast transmitter
is shown in figure.
 A radio receiver is an electronic circuit that picks up a
desired modulated radio frequency signal, and recovers
the baseband signal from the modulated signal.

Mainly there are two types receivers

1.Tuned Radio Frequency receiver (TRF) and
2.Superheterodyne receiver.
Most of the present day receivers are
Superheterodyne receivers.
 SUPERHETERODYNE RECEIVER

The problems of TRF receiver are defeated in

this receiver.
 SUPERHETERODYNE RECEIVER

Heterodyne means to mix two frequencies

together in a nonlinear device or to translate
one frequency to another using nonlinear
mixing.
 SUPERHETERODYNE RECEIVER

The SHR converts all incoming RF frequency to a

fixed lower frequency , called intermediate
frequency (IF).This IF is then amplified and
detected to get the original signal.
The block diagram of an AM receiver of the SHD type is
shown in figure
Basically it consists of
(i).Radio frequency (RF) section,
(ii) a mixer and local oscillator,
(iii).Intermediate frequency (IF) section
(iv).Demodulator or detector
(v)Audio and power amplifier.
 The antenna receives all the
frequency signals and gives it to RF
amplifier
 1.R.F.amplifier
The R.F. amplifier amplifies the weak signal
received from the receiving antenna.
The RF stage amplifies the signals in the required
range of frequencies
It provides initial gain and selectivity
 2.Mixer
The amplified RF signal is fed to the mixer stage.
Where this RF signal is mixed with a high frequency
signal from the local oscillator.
fs

The mixing of two frequencies

1.fs-(radio frequency of selected signal)
2.fLo-Local oscillator frequency.
The mixing of two frequencies will produce two
additional frequencies
1.(fLo + fs)
2.(fLO -fs)
Produced at the output of mixer
The difference (fLo-fs) is called intermediate frequency
(IF)
Produced at the output of mixer

Signal frequency (fs)=1400kHz

fLo =1855kHz produced by the local oscillator.

1.(fLo + fs) =3255kHz

2.(fLO -fs)= 455kHz
 The higher frequency is filtered out and 455kHz
frequency is retained. It is known as intermediate
frequency (I.F)

Heterodyning action

The selected signal frequency(1400Kz) is converted

into a lower fixed frequency called intermediate
frequency (IF)-455kHz by the process of heterodyning
(mixing) of two frequencies.
 3.IF amplifier

The o/p of mixer (455Hz) is fed to an IF amplifier.

Most of the gain and selectivity is provided by these IF

amplifiers.

Normally IF is fixed for the AM receivers

To select a particular station, the local oscillator
frequency FLO is changed in such a way that the
frequency Fs of that station and FLO has the difference
equal to IF.
 4.Detector
The o/p of the IF amplifier is coupled to the input of
the detector.

Advantages of superheterodyne receiver

1. The selectivity of this receiver is better since its
IF amplifiers are narrow band, and the operate
only at IF.
2. The design of IF amplifiers is relatively simple
since they operate only at IF.
APPLICATIONS
AM RECEIVER
FM RECEIVER
SSB RECEIVER
COMMUNICATION RECEIVERS
TELEVISION RECEIVERS
RADAR RECEIVERS