Digital Signal Formats

Syed A. Rizvi

Why Digital Signaling?

Low cost of digital circuitry
l Better resilience to noise
l Flexibility: digitized data derived from
analog sources (voice, video signals etc.)
can be combined with pure digital data
(computer data) to form a general purpose
communication system
l

Analog to Digital Conversion

Pulse Amplitude Modulation
l Pulse Code Modulation
l Delta Modulation
l Differential Pulse Code Modulation
l

Pulse Amplitude Modulation

l

Pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) is a simple technique

to convert an analog signal to a pulse-type signal where
the amplitude of the pulse denotes the analog information
PAM can easily be generated using an analog switch, as
shown in figure below

PAM (Continued)

Baseband Analog Waveform

Switching Waveform

Resulting PAM Signal

Pulse Code Modulation

l

In this technique, a digital word (series of bits) is generated

representing an instantaneous sample of an analog
waveform (signal)

PCM (Continued)

Output
Voltage
Analog, PAM, and Quantized PAM Signals
Input Voltage
Error Signal
Quantizer Output-Input Characteristics
PCM Signal
7

PCM (Continued)
Performance of a PCM System with Uniform Quantization (Noiseless Channel)

Number of Quantizer
Levels Used
2
4
8
16
32
64
128
256
65,536

Length of the PCM Word

Used
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
16

Bandwidth of PCM
Signal
2B*
4B
6B
8B
10B
12B
14B
16B
32B

S/N
(dB)
6.0
12.0
18.1
24.1
30.1
36.1
42.1
48.2
96.3

*B is the bandwidth of Analog Signal

PCM (Continued)
Advantages:
l
l
l

Relatively inexpensive digital circuitry

PCM data can be merged with pure digital data and can be
transmitted over common high-speed digital communication system
Regenerative repeaters can be used to reconstruct a clean PCM signal
from noisy/distorted PCM signal at appropriate intermediate points
along the transmission path
Superior S/N performance than that of an analog system

Disadvantage:
l

Higher bandwidth required than is required by an analog system

9

Delta Modulation (DM)

l
l
l

Very simple technique

Inexpensive to implement
Poor S/N performance when compared to PCM

10

DM (Continued)
Operation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Generate a flat-topped PAM signal from the analog

input signal
Compare the PAM signal with the accumulated output
of the Integrator (AO/P)
If PAM > AO/P, Comparators output is 1; otherwise
its 0
Comparators output is fed to the Integrator to generate
accumulated output
Output of the Comparator form the DM signal

11

DM (Continued)

12

DM (Continued)
S/N performance of a DM
system as a Function of step
size
l
l

A small step size causes

slop-overload distortion
A larger step size causes
granular noise

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Amplitude Modulation (AM)

l

In amplitude modulation, the amplitude of a high frequency

carrier is changed with the amplitude variations in the signal
to be transmitted (baseband signal)

% Positive Modulation =

Amax Ac
100
Ac

Baseband Signal
% Negative Modulation =

% Modulation

Ac Amin
100
Ac

Amax Amin
100
2 Ac

Resulting AM Signal
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AM (Continued)
AM Broadcast Station Technical Standards
Item

FCC Technical Standard

Assigned frequency

540-1700 KHz (in 10 KHz increments)

Channel Bandwidth

10 KHz

Carrier Frequency Stability

+/- 20 Hz of the assigned frequency

% Modulation

Maintain 85-95%; max: 100% negative,

125% positive
50 kW

Maximum power licensed

15

Frequency Modulation (FM)

l

In frequency (phase)
modulation, the instantaneous
frequency (phase) of the carrier
is changed with the change in
the baseband signal.

Baseband Signal

Instantaneous Frequency of the Corresponding FM Signal

Corresponding FM Signal

16

FM (Continued)
FCC FM Broadcasting Standard
Item

FCC Technical Standard

Assigned frequency

88.1MHz to 107.9MHz (in 200 KHz

increments)

Channel Bandwidth

200 KHz

Carrier Frequency
Stability

+/- 2 kHz of the assigned

frequency

Noncommercial
Stations

88.1 MHz to 91.9 MHz

Commercial Stations

92.1 MHz to 107.9 MHz

17

FM (Continued)
FCC Two-way FM Mobile Radio Standard
Item

FCC Technical Standard

Assigned Frequency

30-50 MHz (low VHF band)

144-148 MHz (2-m Amateur band)
148-174 MHz (high VHF band)
420-450 MHz (3/4 m Amateur band)
475-470 MHz (UHF band)
470-512 MHz (UHF, T band)
806-928 MHz (900-MHz band)

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Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)

l

Time division multiplexing is a technique for transmitting

information from several different sources serially over a
communication channel by time interleaving of samples
from these sources.

19

TDM (Continued)
l

In an n-channel TDM system, the bandwidth of

the TDM system is n times the highest bandwidth
of the source.
TDM receiver stores the multiplexed data and
directs it to appropriate output channel using
frame synchronization.
Cross talk is referred to the phenomenon when
PCM samples from one channel appear in
another channel. This is caused by poor filtering
of PCM samples.

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Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)

l

Frequency division multiplexing is a technique for transmitting

information from different sources simultaneously over a
wideband channel.

21

FDM (Continued)
l
l
l

Each signal is modulated on a separate carrier.

A composite baseband signal is formed by summing the
modulated subcarriers.
The composite signal is then modulated on the main
carrier.

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Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK)

l

In this technique, a carrier sinusoid is switched (keyed)

on and off with a binary signal.

23

Phase Shift Keying (PSK)

l

In this technique, the phase of a sinusoid carrier is shifted

0o or 180o with a binary signal.

24

Frequency Shift Keying (FSK)

l

In this technique, the frequency of a sinusoidal carrier is

shifted from one frequency to another. In this way, one
frequency of the carrier represents binary 1 and the
other represents a binary 0.

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