COMMUNICATION SYSTEM LABORATORY

EXPERIMENT 4: FREQUENCY MODULATION

A. OBJECTIVE OF EXPERIMENT
1. Investigates the generation and reception of frequency modulated (FM) waveforms
B. EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
1. Emona Telecoms Trainer 101
2. Oscilloscope and Patch leads
3. Dual Channel Oscilloscope
C. SUMMARY OF THEORY
A disadvantage of the AM, DSBSC and SSB communication systems is that they are susceptible to
picking up electrical noise in the transmission medium (the channel). This is because noise changes the
amplitude of the transmitted signal and the demodulators of these systems are affected by amplitude
variations. As its name implies, frequency modulation (FM) uses a messages amplitude to vary the
frequency of a carrier instead of its amplitude. This means that the FM demodulator is designed to look
for changes in frequency instead. As such, it is less affected by amplitude variations and so FM is less
susceptible to noise. This makes FM a better communications system in this regard.
There are several methods of generating FM signals but they all basically involve an oscillator with an
electrically adjustable frequency. The oscillator uses an input voltage to affect the frequency of its
output. Typically, when the input is 0V, the oscillator outputs a signal at its rest frequency (also
commonly called the free-running or centre frequency). If the applied voltage varies above or below
0V, the oscillators output frequency deviates above and below the rest frequency. Moreover, the
amount of deviation is affected by the amplitude of the input voltage. That is, the bigger the input
voltage, the greater the deviation.
Figure 1 below shows a simple message signal (a bipolar squarewave) and an unmodulated carrier. It
also shows the result of frequency modulating the carrier with the message.

Figure 1 Message, Unmodulated Carrier and FM Signal

There are a few things to notice about the FM signal. First, its envelopes are flat recall that FM
doesnt vary the carriers amplitude. Second, its period (and hence its frequency) changes when the
amplitude of the message changes. Third, as the message alternates above and below 0V, the signals
frequency goes above and below the carriers frequency. (Note: Its equally possible to design an FM
modulator to cause the frequency to change in the opposite direction to the change in the messages
polarity.)

COMMUNICATION SYSTEM LABORATORY

D. PROCEDURE
Part A. Generating an FM signal using simple message
1. Setup the oscilloscope per instruction as following:
The trigger source control is set to CH1 position
The mode control is set to CH1 position
The input coupling of CH1 is set to DC position
2. Connect the set-up shown in Figure 2.

1. Set the VCO modules

Frequency Adjust control to about
the middle of its travel.

Set the scopes

Timebase control to
the 20 s/div position.

1. Locate the VCO module and turn its Gain control

to about two thirds of its travel (about the position of
the number 2 on a clock face)
2. Set the VCO modules Range control to the LO
position.

Adjust the VCO

modules Frequency
Adjust control so that
one cycle of its
output is exactly 5
divisions.
This sets the VCO
modules rest
frequency to 10kHz
(proof:
1
= 10,000 )
5 20

1. Insert the
oscilloscope
leads black plug
into a ground
(GND) socket

Then, set the scopes

Timebase control to
the 0.1ms/div
position.

Figure 2

The Master Signals module is used to provide a 2kHz squarewave message signal and the VCO
module is the FM modulator with a 10kHz carrier.
3.

4. If necessary, tweak the VCO modules Gain control until similar FM signal as in Figure 1 is
obtained from the VCO.
5. Overlay the message with the FM signal and compare both signals.
6. Save the Message and FM signal waveforms.

COMMUNICATION SYSTEM LABORATORY

Part B. Generating an FM signal using speech
1. So far, this experiment has generated an FM signal using a squarewave for the message. However,
the message in commercial communications systems is much more likely to be speech and music.
The next part of the experiment demonstrates what an FM signal looks like when modulated by
speech.
2. Disconnect the plugs to the Master Signals modules 2kHz DIGITAL output and connect them to
the Speech modules output.
3. Set the scopes Trigger Source control to the CH2 position. Ad j ust the ti meb ase co ntro l
acco r d ingly. Talk, sing or hum while watching the scopes display.
4. Quietly hum into the Speech modules microphone while watching the scopes display.
5. Slowly make your hum louder and louder without changing its pitch.
6. Save the Message and FM signal waveforms.

Part C. Recovering the message using a zero-crossing detector

There are as many methods of demodulating an FM signal as there are of generating one. Examples
include: the slope detector, the Foster-Seeley discriminator, the ratio detector, the phase-locked loop
(PLL), the quadrature FM demodulator and the zero-crossing detector. Its possible to implement
several of these methods using the Emona Telecoms-Trainer 101 but, for an introduction to the
principles of FM demodulation, only the zero-crossing detector is used in this experiment.
The zero-crossing detector
The zero-crossing detector is a simple yet effective means of recovering the message from FM signals.
Its block diagram is shown in Figure 3 below.

Figure 3 Recovering the message using a zero-crossing detector

The received FM signal is first passed through a comparator to heavily clip it, effectively converting it
to a squarewave. This allows the signal to be used as a trigger signal for the zero-crossing detector
circuit (ZCD). The ZCD generates a pulse with a fixed duration every time the squared-up FM signal
crosses zero volts (either on the positive or the negative transition but not both). Given the squared-up
FM signal is continuously crossing zero, the ZCD effectively converts the squarewave to a rectangular
wave with a fixed mark time.
When the FM signals frequency changes (in response to the message), so does the rectangular waves
frequency. Importantly though, as the rectangular waves mark is fixed, changing its frequency is
achieved by changing the duration of the space and hence the signals mark/space ratio (or duty cycle).
This is shown in Figure 4 on the next page using an FM signal that only switches between two
frequencies (because it has been generated by a squarewave for the message).

COMMUNICATION SYSTEM LABORATORY

FM signal

0V

Comparator's
output
0V

ZCD signal
0V

Figure 4
Recall from the theory of complex waveforms, pulse trains are actually made up of sinewaves and, in
the case of Figure 4 above, a DC voltage. The size of the DC voltage is affected by the pulse trains
duty cycle. The greater its duty cycle, the greater the DC voltage. That being the case, when the FM
signal in Figure 4 above switches between the two frequencies, the DC voltage that makes up the
rectangular wave out of the ZCD changes between two values. In others words, the DC component of
the rectangular wave is a copy of the squarewave that produced the FM signal in the first place.
Recovering this copy is a relatively simple matter of picking out the changing DC voltage using a lowpass filter. Importantly, this demodulation technique works equally well when the message is a
sinewave or speech.
1.

Disconnect the plug to the Speech modules output and connect them to the Master Signals
modules 2kHz SINEWAVE output.

2.

The comparator on the Utilities module is used to clip the FM signal, effectively turning it into a
squarewave. The positive edge-triggered Twin Pulse Generator module is used to implement the
zero-crossing detector. To complete the FM demodulator, the Baseband LPF on the Channel
Module is used to pick-out the changing DC component of the Twin Pulse Generator modules
output.

3.

Locate the Twin Pulse Generator module and turn its Width and Delay control fully anti-clockwise.

4.

The entire set-up can be represented by the block diagram in Figure 5 below. Note that the REF of
the comparator should be connected to GND.

5.

Set the scopes Timebase control to the 2 s/div position. Adjust the Twin Pulse Generator
modules Width control for an output pulse that is 12 s.

Message to
Ch 1

2KHz sine

ZCD
10KHz rest
frequency
FM modulator

FM demodulator

Figure 5

COMMUNICATION SYSTEM LABORATORY

E.

6.

Examine the shape of the Comparators output waveform. Save the FM signal and
Comparators Output waveforms.

7.

Compare the output from the Comparator and the Twin Pulse Generator module (the ZCD). Save
the Comparator and ZCD output waveforms.

8.

Compare the message with the FM demodulators output. Adjust the scopes Timebase control to
view two or so cycles of the Master Signals modules 2kHz SINE output. Save both waveforms.

RESULTS AND CALCULATION

1. Message and FM Signal Waveforms (Squarewave)
2. Message and FM Signal Waveforms (Speech)
3. FM signal and Comparators Output waveforms
4. Comparator and ZCD Output waveforms
5. 2 KHz SINE message with the FM demodulators output

F. DISCUSSION
1.
What is the relationship between the FM signals frequency deviation and the frequency of the
message?
2.

Explain about type of waveform does comparator and ZCD output.