Ron Baker, Pluralitas! wrote:

What is the difference between AM and DSB?

The two actually describe different properties, so a signal can be be
AM, DSB, neither, or both.

And here we run into some trouble between technical correctness and
common usage.

DSB stands for Double SideBand. Although I suppose an FM signal could be
called DSB because it has two *sets* of sidebands, and a narrowband FM
signal has only one significant pair like an AM signal, in my experience
the term DSB virtually always refers to a signal generated by amplitude
modulation.

AM is Amplitude Modulation. Straightforward amplitude modulation such as
done for AM broadcasting produces a carrier and two sidebands, or DSB
with carrier. Either the carrier or one sideband, or both, can be
suppressed. If you suppress the carrier (or don't generate it in the
first place), you get DSB with suppressed carrier, or DSB-SC. If you
suppress one sideband, you get SSB. Usually, but not always, the carrier
is also suppressed along with the one sideband, resulting in SSB-SC.
NTSC television transmission is VSB -- AM with a carrier and "vestigial"
or partially suppressed sideband and a full second sideband. Partial
suppression of the carrier is also done for some broadcast purposes.

So a commercial AM broadcast station broadcasts a signal that's both AM
and DSB. A typical amateur or military SSB transmission is AM but not
DSB. A QPSK signal is neither. And, as I mentioned, some signals like FM
could be considered DSB but not AM (although this isn't common usage).

In common amateur parlance, however,

"AM" usually means AM with two sidebands and carrier.
"DSB" usually means AM with two sidebands and suppressed carrier
"SSB" usually means AM with a single sideband and suppressed carrier

Roy Lewallen, W7EL