PULSE WIDTH MODULATION

Abstract:
PWM modulation works by changing pulse waves by output
pulses at a constant volume, while the width and spacing of the pulse gives
the effect of different frequencies and volumes, controlled by the modulating
signal's amplitude. Pulse width modulation (PWM) is a powerful technique for
controlling analog circuits with a processor's digital outputs. PWM is
employed in a wide variety of applications, ranging from measurement and
communications to power control and conversion

One of the advantages of PWM is that the signal remains digital all the way
from the processor to the controlled system; no digital-to-analog conversion
is necessary. By keeping the signal digital, noise effects are minimized. Noise
can only affect a digital signal if it is strong enough to change a logic-1 to a
logic-0, or vice versa.

Input and Output Waveforms:

Advantages and applications:

 Use: to transmit low-freq. signals over long distance through telephone

lines and fiber optic cable

 Applications

 Electronic compass (navigation aid)

 Power delivery

 Transmission of coded information

 Advantages

 Noise immunity

 Low distortion

PWM Method Using 555 timer:

In this method, negative trigger pulses

are derived with the help of a didode and an R1-C1 combination which works
as a differentiator. A Differentiator is a circuit that is designed such that the
output of the circuit is proportional to the time derivative of the input.
A differentiator circuit consists of an operational amplifier, resistors and
capacitor These negative trigger pulses are applied to the pin no 2 of the 555
timer which is working in the monostable mode.They decide the starting time
of PWM pulses.The end of the pulses depend on the R2-C2 combination and
on the signal at pin no 5 to which the modulating signal is applied.ther
fore,the width of the pulses depend upon the value of the modulating
signal,and thus the output at pin no 3 is the desired pulse width modulated
signal.
PWM Demodulator Circuit:

The transistor T1 works as an inverter. Hence

during time interval A-B, when the PWM signal is high, the input to the
transistor T2 is low. There fore, during this time interval the transistor T2 is
cutoff and the capacitor C gets charged through an R-C combination. During
the time interval B-C when the PWM signal is low, the input to transistor T2 is
high and it gets saturated. The capacitor C then discharges very rapidly
through T2.The collector voltage of T2 during the interval B-C is then low.
Thus the waveform at the collector of T2 is more or less a saw –tooth
waveform whose envelope is the modulating signal. When this is passed
through a 2nd order OP Amp low pass filter, we get the desired demodulated
output.