FM Demodulation

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Requirement
Must convert frequency variation into amplitude variation
ii. Conversion must be linear and efficient
iii. Should be insensitive to amplitude change only sensitive to
frequency change
iv. Should not be too critical in its adjustment and operation
i.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Types of FM Demodulators
FM
Demodulation

Direct
Slope

Detector
Balanced Slope Detector
Foster-Seeley Phase
Discriminator
Ratio Detector

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Indirect
Phase Lock Loop(PLL)

Basic FM Demodulator
fc+f proportional to amplitude

Frequency
Variations

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

TUNED
CIRUIT

Amplitude
Variations

Basic FM Demodulator
The function of FM demodulator is to change the frequency

deviation of the incoming carrier into an AF amplitude

variation.
The detection circuit should be insensitive to amplitude
changes.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Basic FM Demodulator
This type of circuit converts the FM IF voltage of constant

amplitude into a voltage that is both FM and AM.

The later is applied to a detector which reacts to amplitude
changes and ignores frequency changes.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Basic FM Demodulator
FM Wave

Output
of Tuned
Circuit
FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Basic FM Demodulator
The most basic circuit employed as FM demodulator is

parallel tuned LC circuit, often known as slope detector.

The carrier frequency should fall on one side of resonant
frequency and
The entire frequencies should fall on linear region of transfer
curve of tuned circuit.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Simple Slope Detector (Frequency

Discriminator)
Output of tank applied to

Simple diode detector RC load with

fc
Proper time constant
Detector identical to AM

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

fc+f

Drawback
Inefficient
Linear only to limited frequency
Difficult to adjust primary and secondary

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Transfer
Curve

Output

Slope Detector Transfer

Characteristics

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Balanced Slope Detector

This circuit uses two slope detectors, connected in back to

back fashion, to opposite ends of center-tapped transformer.

And hence fed 1800 out of phase.
The top secondary circuit is tuned above the IF by an amount
f, and bottom circuit is tuned below IF by f.
Each circuit is connected to diode detectors with suitable RC
loads.
The output is taken across series combination of loads, so
that it is sum of the individual outputs.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Balanced Slope Detector

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Combined Transfer Curve

Useful Range

f -f<f<f
FM by Baishakhi Bosec ,KJSCE c
D1<D2

f=fc
D1=D2

fc<f<fc+f
D1>D2

Balanced Slope Detector

When input frequency = fc

Then output of T(+Ve)= output of T (-Ve)

So sum of outputs of T and T = Zero

When input frequency = fc+f

Then output of T(+Ve) > output of T (-Ve)
So sum of outputs of T and T = +Ve

When input frequency = fc-f

Then output of T(+Ve) < output of T (-Ve)
So sum of outputs of T and T = -Ve

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Balance Slope Detector- Drawbacks

Even more difficult to tune, as there are three different

frequencies to be tuned.
Amplitude limiting still not provided.
Linearity, although better than single slope detector, is still
not good enough.
ADVANTAGES
Its better linearity than the simple slope detector

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Foster-Seeley (Phase) Discriminator

In this all the tuned circuits are tuned to the same frequency.
Balanced Slope Detector circuit with some changes is used.
This circuit yields far better linearity than slope detection.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Foster-Seeley (Phase) Discriminato

2

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Principal of operation
Primary and secondary tunned to same center frequency the

voltage applied to two diodes are not equal.

May vary depending on the frequency of the input signal
Phase shift between the primary and secondary depends on
input frequency
As C2 & C4 are coupling & RF Bypass capacitors

respectively, therefore VL3 VIN So

Voltage across diode= VIN + Secondary voltage/2

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Discriminator
Now in Transformer voltage is induced in the secondary as a

result of current in primary.

And

jM VIN . X C 2
Vab
L1 R2 jX 2
Where X2= XL2-XC2

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Discriminator
At resonance i.e. when input frequency is fc, X2=0

jM VIN . X C 2
Vab
L1
R2
i.e. Vab leads VIN by 900.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Discriminator
And from the phasor diagram given below :

Vab
2
Vab

2
That as Vao=Vbo, hence discriminator output is zero.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Discriminator
When input frequency is greater than fc, then XL2>XC2 &

hence X2 is positive.

jM VIN . X C 2 VIN X C 2 M90 0

Vab
L1 Z 2
L1 R2 jX 2
VIN X C 2 M
0

(90 )
L1 Z 2
That is Vab leads VIN by less than 900.
FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Discriminator
And from the phasor diagram given below :
Vab
2
Vab

That as Vao>Vbo, hence discriminator output is

positive.
FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Discriminator
When input frequency is less than fc, then XL2<XC2
& hence X2 is negative.

jM VIN . X C 2 VIN X C 2 M90 0

Vab
L1 Z 2 ( )
L1 R2 jX 2
VIN X C 2 M
0

(90 )
L1 Z 2
That is Vab leads VIN by more than 900.
FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Discriminator
And from the phasor diagram given below :
Vab
2
Vab

That as Vao<Vbo, hence discriminator output is

negative.
FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Discriminator
Useful Range extends
upto half-power points of
tuned transformer.
Useful Range
Beyond which o/p falls due
to frequency response of
transformer.
FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Discriminator Advantages

It is much easier to align, as there are now two tuned circuits and

both are tuned to the same frequency.

Linearity is quite better, as circuit relies less on frequency &
more on primary-secondary phase relation, which is quite linear.
Only drawback is, there is no provision for amplitude limiting.
DRAWBACK:
Its does not provide amplitude limiting.So in the presence of
noise or any other spurious amplitude variation output responds
to them and produce errors

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Ratio- Detector
Ratio detector demodulator is modified Foster-Seeley circuit

in order to incorporate amplitude limiting.

In Foster-Seeley discriminator that sum of voltages Vao+Vbo
Should remain constant,
and their difference should vary due to variation in input
frequency.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Ratio-detector
But practically speaking any variation in the amplitude of input

signal, also has impact on sum of Vao+Vbo, leading to distortion.

Ratio-detector circuit eliminates this variation of Vao+Vbo, and
performs the function of amplitude limiter also.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Ratio-Detector
Three changes are made in Foster-Seeley discriminator:
One of The diodes has been reversed.
A large capacitor has been placed between points, from where
output was taken.
Output now is taken from elsewhere.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Ratio-Detector

Change 1: Diode D2 is reversed so that now

sum of Vao & Vbo appears across points a and b
instead of difference.
FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Ratio-Detector

Change 2: A capacitor C5 with large time

constant is connected across a-b in order to
keep Vao+Vbo constant.
FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Ratio-Detector

Change 3: Output is taken from o-o as the

difference of Vao + Vbo appears there. Ground is
shifted to O.
FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Operation at Resonance
No phase shift occurs at resonance and both Vao & Vbo are

equal. Hence their difference (output) is zero.

During negative part of cycle of input signal, polarity across
secondary also changes and both diodes get reverse biased.
But C5 with large time constant maintains voltage at constant
level.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Operation Above Resonance

When a tuned circuit operates at a frequency higher than

resonance, the tank is inductive.

Secondary voltage V1 is nearer in phase with primary voltage,
while V2 is shifted further out of phase with primary.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Operation Above Resonance

So output voltage in this case will be positive as shown in vector

diagram:

Vab
2
Vab

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Output

Operation Below Resonance

When a tuned circuit operates below resonance, it is

capacitive. Secondary current leads the primary voltage and

secondary voltage V2 is nearer in phase with primary voltage
and voltage V1 is shifted away in phase from primary voltage

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Operation Below Resonance

So the output in this case will be negative.

Vab
2
Vab

Output
FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Ratio-Detector Advantages
Amplitude limiting is possible.
Linearity is quite good as compared to others. So quite often

used in high quality receivers.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Ratio-Detector Dis-advantages
Under critical noise conditions, such as satellite receivers, where

demodulator noise performance becomes very significant, even

this demodulator is found wanting.
Under these conditions more advanced demodulators such as
Phase Locked Loop are used.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Locked Loop (PLL)

It is the best frequency demodulator.
A phase-locked loop (PLL) is an electronic circuit with a

voltage- or current-driven oscillator that is constantly

adjusted to match in phase (and thus lock on) with the
frequency of an input signal.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Locked Loop

A basic phase Locked Loop consists of Three components:
Phase discriminator: compares phase of two signals and

generates a voltages according to phase difference of two

signals.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Locked Loop

Loop Filter: A low pass filter to filter the output of phase

discriminator.
Voltage controlled Oscillator(VCO): generates RF signals
whose frequency depends upon voltage generated by phase
discriminator.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Locked Loop

compare the two input signals and generate
an output signal that, when filtered, will
control the VCO.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

adjusts the VCO frequency in an

attempt to correct for the original
frequency or phase difference.

Phase Locked Loop

As incoming frequency changes, The phase discriminator

generates a voltage to control the frequency and phase of

VCO.
This control voltage varies at the same rate as the frequency
of the incoming signal.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Locked Loop

Control Voltage rate of input freq change
Hence this signal can be directly used as output.
PLL must have low time constant so that it can follow modulating
signal.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Locked Loop

Free running frequency of VCO is set equal to the carrier

frequency of the FM wave.

The lock range must be at least twice the maximum deviation
of the signal.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Phase Locked Loop

Linearity is governed by voltage to frequency characteristics

of VCO.
As it swings over small portion of its bandwidth, the
characteristic can be made relatively linear.
Hence the distortion levels of PLL demodulators are
normally very low.

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE

Performance comparison FM
Sl no

Parameter

Balanced slope
detector

Phase
discriminator

Ratio Detector

1.

Alignment
/tuning

Critical as 3 circuits
to be tuned as
different frequency

Not critical

Not critical

2.

Output
characteristic
depends on

Primary secondary
frequency
relationship

Primary secondary Primary secondary

phase relationship phase relationship

3.

Linearity of
output
characteristic

poor

Very good

good

4.

Amplitude
limiting

Not provided
inherently

Not provided
inherently

Provided with
ratio detector

5.

Amplification

Not used in practice

FM radio,satellite
station receiver

TV receiver sound
station,NBFM
receiver

FM by Baishakhi Bose ,KJSCE