ENSC327
Communications Systems
11: FM Modulation
Jie Liang
School of Engineering Science
Simon Fraser University
1
Outline
Two methods of generating FM waves:
Direct method
Indirect Method: Armstrong’s wideband frequency
modulator
Review of frequency deviation:
Angle modulation: s(t ) = Ac cos(2πf c t + φ (t ))
1 dθ i (t ) 1 dφ (t )
Instantaneous frequency f i (t ) = = fc +
2π dt 2π dt
1 dφ (t )
Frequency deviation ∆f = max .
2π dt
Frequency deviation for FM signals: ∆f = k f max m(t ) .
For example, FM radio allows 75kHz deviation to each side of the carrier. 3
Direct FM Generation
The carrier freq is directly varied by the input signal
Can be accomplished by Voltage-Controlled
Oscillator (VCO), whose output frequency is
proportional to the voltage of the input signal.
A VCO example: implemented by variable capacitor
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Problems of direct FM generator
The carrier freq of VCO tends to drift away.
(Crystal oscillator cannot be used in direct FM:
its freq is too stable, and is difficult to change.)
Feedback freq stabilization circuit is required:
The complexity is increased.
The frequency deviation with direct FM is only
about 5 KHz, too small for wideband FM:
Recall: the max frequency deviation in
commercial FM radio is 75kHz.
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Indirect Method: Armstrong Modulator
First obtain NBFM via a NBPM circuit with crystal oscillator
Then apply frequency multiplier
Increase both the carrier frequency and the freq deviation
If necessary, use mixer to concatenate multiple multipliers
Mixer only changes the carrier frequency, but not the frequency deviation.
Indirect FM is preferred when the stability of carrier frequency
is of major concern (e.g., in commercial FM broadcasting)
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Recall: Narrow-band FM
if ∆f is small: s (t ) = Ac cos(2πf c t + φ (t ))
φ (t )
x
2πk f
Crystal oscillator can be used to get stable frequency (prevent drifting)
But frequency deviation of NBFM is small.
To get larger one, use freq multiplier… 7
Frequency Multipliers
How to increase the frequency deviation ?
Answer: trigonometric identity!
t
From s (t ) = Ac cos(2πf c t + 2πk f ∫ m(τ )dτ )
0
If we can get the squared signal:
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Frequency Multipliers
If we can get s3(t):
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Freq Multipliers via Nonlinear Circuit
FM signal with carrier fc FM signal with carrier n fc
and deviation ratio D and deviation ratio n D.
A general nonlinear circuit produces
v(t ) = a1s (t ) + a2 s 2 (t ) + ... + an s n (t )
The highest carrier frequency:
The highest freq sensitivity factor:
The bandpass filter:
Center:
Passband width:
In practice: n = 2, or 3. Larger n is not efficient.
But can concatenate multiple stages to obtain higher orders. 10
Mixer & Frequency Multiplier
Frequency multiplier increases the freq and deviation together.
How to adjust them separately to get more flexibilities?
s(t) freq
multiplier
Input: s (t ) = Ac cos(2πf c t + φ (t )), with freq deviation ∆f.
After freq multiplier:
After multiplying with local freq f1:
After BPF: 11
Armstrong’s Indirect FM
mixer
LPF
n1 n2
f1
Two stages of multiplier and one mixer are used.
Allow flexible choices of carrier freq and freq deviation.
The first stage multiplier amplifies both fc and Δf.
The mixer brings down the central freq.
The second stage amplifies fc and Δf again.
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Example
A B
C
LPF
n1 = 162 n 2 = 30
f1 = 77.97MHz
NBPM output : f = 500kHz, ∆f = 15.432 Hz
Find f and ∆f at A, B, C.
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Example
A B
C
LPF
n1 = 162 n2 = 30
f1 = 77.97 MHz
Total multiplier for ∆f:
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Summary
Direct FM generation:
The carrier freq is directly varied by the input signal
Frequency drifting is a problem
Freq deviation < 5KHz
Indirect FM generation:
NBFM followed by freq multiplier
Use nonlinear circuit to get multiplier
Can use mixer to change the carrier freq
Combination of mixer and multiplier provides flexibilities.
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Reference
Direct FM generation:
http://www.ycars.org/EFRA/Module%20B/directfm.htm
Indirect FM generation:
http://www.ycars.org/EFRA/Module%20B/indirectfm.htm
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