Amplitude Modulation & Demodulation

This set of flashcards is designed to help reinforce key vocabulary and concepts related to amplitude modulation and demodulation, as discussed in the lecture notes.

Amplitude Modulation (AM)

The process of changing the amplitude of a high frequency carrier signal in proportion to the instantaneous value of the modulating signal.

Carrier Signal

A high frequency signal that is modulated to carry information.

Modulating Signal

The signal that modifies the carrier signal in amplitude modulation.

Modulation Index (M)

The ratio of the peak change in the amplitude of the modulated signal to the amplitude of the carrier signal, represented as $M = \frac{V_{max} - V_{min}}{V_{max} + V_{min}}$.

Upper Side Frequency (USB)

The frequency components above the carrier frequency in amplitude modulation.

Lower Side Frequency (LSB)

The frequency components below the carrier frequency in amplitude modulation.

Depth of Modulation

A measure of how much the carrier signal amplitude varies from its unmodulated state.

Demodulation

The process of extracting the original information from the modulated signal.

CRO (Cathode Ray Oscilloscope)

An electronic device used to observe the waveform of electronic signals.

Software Simulation Tools

Programs such as MATLAB, Proteus, or TINA-TI used to simulate circuits practically without hardware.

Over Modulation

Occurs when the modulation index exceeds 1, leading to distortion in the signal.

Under Modulation

Occurs when the modulation index is less than 1, making the modulated signal weaker than the carrier.

Phase Delay

The delay in the instant of the output signal relative to the input signal due to filtering components.

Voltage Envelope

The smooth curve that outlines the extremes of an amplitude modulated signal.

Function Generator

A device that produces various waveforms, mainly for testing electronic equipment.

Vmax and Vmin

The maximum and minimum voltages of the modulated signal envelope.