Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02)

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Date:
Student Name: _________________________ Lab Supervisor: ___________
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Signature: _______________

LAB-1
Simulation of Radio Transceiver
Building Blocks
Prepared by
Rashad.M.Ramzan and Henrik Fredriksson
{rashad}{henrik}@isy.liu.se

Electrical Engineering Department (ISY)

Linkping University, Sweden

Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02)

2/14

Introduction:
In this lab you will investigate the characteristics and behaviour of some functional blocks
used in RF transmitters and receivers. The models have been implemented in SimulinkTM,
which is a popular tool for functional level modelling and simulation of various systems at
the block-level of abstraction. For our purpose we have mainly used the Communication
Blockset, which offers a variety of RF models. This LAB has five modules which require
a preparatory work to be completed by you before starting the LAB. To complete all the
program, we assume it should not take more than the scheduled four hours if you have
prepared for the LAB. The LAB consists of the following five modules:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

AM Modulation/Demodulation
FM Modulation/Demodulation
Two Stage up-conversion
Heterodyne Receiver
Zero-IF Receiver

1. Instructions
1.1. The LAB manual and Simulink files are available on course web page
http://www.ek.isy.liu.se/courses/tsek02/
1.2. You must hand over the Preparatory Exercises (PE) to the lab assistant before the
start of the LAB to get the credit of this LAB. Very brief but to the point answers
are desirable. Please, do not waste eleventh word if the answer in ten words and a
figure is possible.
1.3. If you are not able to complete the LAB during the scheduled hours, you can do it
in your spare time and once everything is in order and complete, show the results
to the teaching assistant.

2. Preparatory Exercise
Q1:

a) What is the difference between the standard amplitude modulation, linear

addition, and multiplication of signals?
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b) Why is it desirable to have the modulation index of an AM signal as large as
possible without overmodulation? Why is overmodulation undesirable?
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Electrical Engineering Department (ISY)

Linkping University, Sweden

Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02)

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c) Consider a BB signal with a bandwidth between 500Hz and 5kHz to be

amplitude modulated using a carrier of 200 kHz. Plot the AM spectrum in two
cases: standard AM is used, SSB-SC AM is used. Compare the bandwidth occupied
by them.

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Q2:

FM Definition: Consider a carrier signal at frequency f 0 = 0 2 and amplitude A0,

being frequency modulated by a sinusoidal signal xBB(t)= em(t) = Em cos (mt + 1800).
The frequency of the modulated signal is then fFM(t) = f0 kf Em cos mt. This can be
expressed as a function of time as:

sFM (t ) = A0 sin 2 f FM (t )dt = A0 sin 0t 2k f Em cos(mt )dt

2k f Em

= A0 sin 0t +
sin (mt ) = A0 sin (0t + m f sin (mt ))
m

Which also can be expressed as a series of the Bessel functions of the first kind as:

sFM (t ) = A0 { J 0 (m f )sin (0t ) J1 (m f )[sin ((0 m )t ) sin ((0 + m )t )]

+ J 2 (m f )[sin ((0 2m )t ) sin ((0 + 2m )t )] ...

th

where Jn are Bessel functions of n order.

a) Define the modulation index of the FM signal (see lecture 3).

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A phase modulated signal can be expressed as: sPM (t ) = A0 sin (0t + k P xBB (t )) where
xBB (t) is the modulating signal.

b) What is the relationship between the phase modulation and frequency

modulation? Consider the FM signal sFM(t) as a PM signal and derive the
corresponding phase modulation signal xBB(t).
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Electrical Engineering Department (ISY)

Linkping University, Sweden

Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02)

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c) What is the relationship between the modulating signal and bandwidth of the FM
signal? (Hint: Carsons rule)
Derive also a formula for the FM bandwidth for narrowband modulation (mf << 1)
without resorting to the Carson's rule (Hint: use the Taylor series expansion)
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d) Compare AM- and FM modulation in terms the bandwidth. For FM consider two
cases: mf << 1 and mf >> 1. What is the AM- and FM receiver minimum bandwidth
as compared to the received BB signal ?
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e) Consider the FM modulator block-level model as shown in Fig-3 of this manual.
What a mathematical model does it implement? Write down the adequate equation.
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Q3:

a) Using an appropriate formula explain the principle of quadrature SSB upconversion.

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b) Why is SSB up-conversion preferred over DSB?
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Electrical Engineering Department (ISY)

Linkping University, Sweden

Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02)

Q4:

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a) Heterodyne receivers have typically: the band selection filter, image rejection
filter, and channel filter. Explain the function of each of these filters.
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b) A heterodyne receiver is designed to receive a signal at 1.1 GHz using a 0.9 GHz
LO frequency. Calculate the IF frequency and image frequency. Explain what the
image frequency means.
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c) Explain the purpose of a two-tone test.
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Q5:

a) What is the main advantage of a zero-IF receiver?

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b) What kind of operation is needed to retrieve the wanted signal (and to
reject the image /mirror/) in the zero-IF receiver?
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c) Looking at the diagram on the title page, list the problems associated with the
zero-IF receiver?
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Electrical Engineering Department (ISY)

Linkping University, Sweden

Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02)

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3. References
[1] J. Dbrowski, Radioelectronics, LiU-Tryck, 2009
[2] R. Blake, Electronic Communication Systems, Delmar, Thomson Learning, 2002
[3] L. E. Frenzel, Principles of Electronic Communication Systems, McGraw-Hill,
2006.
[4] B. Razavi, RF Microelectronics, Prentice Hall, 1998.

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Linkping University, Sweden

Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02)

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LAB Exercises
3.1.

AM Modulation/Demodulation

Fig-1: AM Modulation/Demodulation

Open the file am.mdl. Simulate the model and observe the time domain signals on
the scope, and frequency domain signals on the FFT analysers.
Change the Modulation Index by changing gain of the block Modulating signal.
Use the following values: 0.2, 0.5, 1, and 2. Observe the output. Does the
demodulator recover the signal correctly in all cases? Comment on the problem.
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What would happen if a simple envelope-detector (diode and RC low-pass filter)

was used as a demodulator for the modulation index equal 2?
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Compare the Rx-OUT signal, with and without the Band-Select Filter.
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Electrical Engineering Department (ISY)

Linkping University, Sweden

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The non-linear block, following the Up-conversion Mixer, models odd nonlinearity.
Double click on the block and change it to an even-order non-linearity by changing
"u - 0.001*u*u*u" to "u - 0.001*u*u". Simulate and observe what happens to the
TX-OUT signal.

Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02)

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Remove the carrier from the AM signal. For this purpose set the value in the
Constant block to 0. In this way a two-tone signal is generated by the UpConverter. To emphasise the effect of the 3rd order nonlinearity redefine the
Nonlinearity block as u - 0.1*u*u*u.
Simulate and observe the available spectra. What are the power levels of the desired
signal, the in-band and out-of-band spectral content evoked by the nonlinear
distortion? (The band is defined by the Band-select filter between 7 and 13 kHz).
For comparison you can also reduce the nonlinearity. Explain the differences.

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Electrical Engineering Department (ISY)

Linkping University, Sweden

Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02)

3.2.

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FM Modulation/Demodulation

Fig-2: FM Modulator/Demodulator Model

Open the file fm.mdl. Simulate the model and observe the response of the time
domain signals (scope) and frequency domain signals. Carsons rule can be used to
determine the bandwidth of the FM signal (see the preparatory exercise Q2c).
Compare the results from the simulated model with this rule. Do they match?
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Change the modulating frequency and amplitude of the modulating signal. Observe
the effect of these changes on the BW? Compare with the Carsons rule.

Increasing Modulating Frequency:

{Increases / Decreases / No effect} BW

Increasing Amplitude of Modulating Freq: {Increases / Decreases / No effect} BW

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Electrical Engineering Department (ISY)

Linkping University, Sweden

Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02) 10/14

3.3.

Two Stage up-conversion

Fig-3: Two step up-converter model

Open the file two_up.mdl and run the simulation.

In this model there are two architectures to compare, the quadrature and nonquadrature one. Both are designed to create a SSB modulated signal. How much
suppression of the unwanted sideband can you see in these two models?
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Explain why there is a difference.

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Observe that the BPF used in the quadrature up-converter does not affect the
spectrum signal significantly. In practice, however, this filter is used anyway.
What could be the possible reason for using this filter?
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A very selective BPF at high frequency is difficult to achieve. How can you
improve the lower sideband rejection in a non-quadrature up-conversion without
changing the filter? (Hint: Look at the LO frequencies in the first and second stage)

Electrical Engineering Department (ISY)

Linkping University, Sweden

Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02) 11/14

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Verify the improvement through simulation. How much suppression of the lower
sideband have you achieved in the modified model?
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3.4.

Heterodyne Receiver

Fig-4: Heterodyne Receiver model

Open the file he_Rx.mdl and run the simulation. This file models a heterodyne
receiver for a 1.1 GHz RF signal and IF of 200 MHz. The band selection and image
rejection filters are band-pass filters with a pass band between 1 and 1.2 GHz. The
nonlinearity of the amplifier is chosen to be very weak. The channel selection filter
(BPF-IF) has a pass-band between 190 and 210 MHz. For each of the signal
sources, identify the corresponding components in the IF spectrum. Explain the
differences in the signal levels in IF band. Compare the spectra at the input and the
output of the IF filter.
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Which one of the input signals can be considered the image if the wanted signal is
at 1.1 GHz? How much suppression does it achieve? (a small offset frequency is
used to make the image visible)
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Linkping University, Sweden

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To emphasise the image problem change the LO frequency to 800 MHz. Now the
wanted signal is at IF equal 300 MHz, respectively. (In fact, as the IF frequency is
changed the IF filter should also be changed accordingly, but we skip the IF filter
problem in this investigation). Run the simulation to see the wanted signal and
identify its image (esp. look at the input of the IF filter). Which input signal makes
the image and how much suppression does it achieve in this case? Compare the
image suppression with the previous case when LO was tuned to 900 MHz and
explain the difference.
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Disconnect all RF-signals except the 1.1GHz source. Increase the amount of nonlinearity in the LNA by clicking on the symbol and change 10*u[1]-0.0001* u[1]*
u[1]-0.0001* u[1]* u[1]* u[1] to 10*u[1]-1* u[1]* u[1]-1* u[1]* u[1]* u[1]

Open the zero order hold-block and change the sampling time to 1/10e9 as the
third harmonic will reach triple frequency and also be up-converted.

Simulate and identify the harmonics in the receiver.

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Change the model to perform a two-tone test. Use only two signal sources, one at
1.09 GHz and other at 1.11 GHz and change the sampling time to 1/1e9 for the
zero order hold-block at the IF filter input (there will be much aliasing in the FFT
spectrum but the part of interest will not be affected and IM3 can be measured
well). Calculate the frequencies of the 3rd order intrmodulation products.
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Measure the relevant spectral components at the input of the IF filter and calculate
IIP3 of the receiver.
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Electrical Engineering Department (ISY)

Linkping University, Sweden

Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02) 13/14

3.5.

Zero-IF Receiver

Fig-5: Zero-IF (Direct Conversion) Receiver Model

Open the file Zero_if.mdl.

A standard zero-IF architecture is modelled as shown in Fig-6. Here the receiver is

used to down-convert a two-tone signal of 1500 Hz and 1700 Hz. To show the
effect of the mirroring at IF (which is zero) the LO frequency is chosen at 1550 Hz.
The IQ mismatch and nonlinearities of the Rx blocks are minimized.

Run the simulation and observe the instruments. Identify the down-converted
desired and undesired signal components after the Hilbert transform and addition.
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Change the amplitude of signal S2 inside the Test generator block from 1/4 to
1. Measure, with the instruments, the mirror rejection ratio (image rejection)
obtained at the output.

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Open the LO dialog box. Add a small phase mismatch, say 3 deg. Run the
simulation. What is the image rejection now?

Electrical Engineering Department (ISY)

Linkping University, Sweden

Autumn 2009: Radioelectronics (TSEK-02) 14/14

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Change back the amplitude of signal S2 inside the Test generator block from 1
to 1/4. Observe RF Spectrum at the mixer input. Where are the intermodulation
products generated?
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You have completed the LAB

Electrical Engineering Department (ISY)

Linkping University, Sweden