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8.3 Analogue modulation
8.3.1 Amplitude modulation (AM)
There are a number of methods of modulation where the amplitude of
the carrier is varied by the information signal but the most commonly
used is double sideband AM (DSB). Figure 8.2 shows a radio
frequency carrier modulated by a low frequency signal.
The amount or depth of modulation is expressed as percentage
ratio, m%, of the maximum to minimum amplitude:
Mod. depth = m%
=
max. amplitude − min. amplitude
max. amplitude + min. amplitude
× 100%
When the modulation is increased to the point where the minimum
amplitude falls to zero, 100% modulation occurs. Any further increase
in modulation produces ...