Delta Modulation (Haykin 3.

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Previously we considered a two step process to sampling and quantization of an input analog signal g(t). In order to avoid aliasing noise, g(t) had to be sampled at twice the one sided bandwidth. These analog samples were then converted to digital format by a multi-bit ADC quantizer. Suppose instead we oversample the signal (ie higher rate than nyquist requirements and implemented a quantization/encoding scheme that successive samples only change by +/.
input signal m(t) quantized signal mq(t)

t/T s

This form of quantization is called Delta Modulation. Notation m[n] = m(nTs ) where Ts is the sampling interval. The error in the nth sample m[n] is
e[ n] = m[ n] m q [ n 1]

where mq[n] is the quantized version of m[n]. See the diagram below:
m (n) m (t)

m (n-1 )
m q( n )

m q( n -1 )

(n-1 )

t /T s

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Hence we get a set of recursive equations:

e[ n] = m[ n] m q [ n 1] m q [ n] = m q [ n 1] + sign (e[n])

The binary sequence to be transmitted is

sign (e[n]) + 1 2

In the receiver, to reconstruct the quantized version of m(t) we have

mq [n] = sign(e[n]) = eq [i ]
i =1 i =1 n n

where
eq [i] = sign (e[i ])

Block diagram of DM transmitter

+ m(t) 1/Ts + (sign(eq(n))+1)/2 e(n) eq(n) encoder baseband transmitted signal

delay one time step mq(n-1)

mq(n)

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Block diagram of the DM receiver

received baseband signal

eq(n

decoder
1/Ts

mq(n)

LPF

estimate of m(t)

delay one time step

mq(n-1)

Receiver essentially implements

n (t ) = LPF {m q (n)} = LPF eq (i ) m i =1

where
(t ) m

implies the estimate or approximation of m(t)

The receiver uses the data to generate eq[n] as input information to estimate m(t). As described in the first lab, there are two types of noise Granularity noise Slew rate limitation

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m(t) slope overload granularity noise mq(t)

maximum slope

Slope overload distortion eliminated if

dm(t ) dt Ts
SNR - The delta modulation will have a granularity or quantization of . To a good approximation the resulting noise can be construed as additive noise that is statistically independent of the input signal. This granularity noise has a variance of approximately 2 = 3
2

Note that the variance is four times that of the normal quantization noise described in class as the DM either steps up or down by and therefore the average granularity is 2 instead of . Suppose m(t) is a sinusoidal signal of peak amplitude A. The maximum SNR achievable of the DM is approximately SNR = 10 log( A2 ) 2 2

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Delta Sigma Modulation

Delta modulation can be construed as transmitting the derivative of the input analog signal m(t). For example consider m(t) as a triangle wave at the maximum slew rate. m(t)

DM signal

Hence the DM receiver essentially integrate the decoded DM signal to estimate m(t). Bit errors that occur in the link will have an accumulative effect. Eventually large offset in the receivers approximation of m(t) will result.

Bit error
Received And decoded DM signal

m(t) estimate of m(t))

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Instead of transmitting m(t) we transmit the integral of m(t). Then we dont have to integrate in the receiver to recover m(t) and therefore there will be no accumulated offset errors. The discrete implementation of the integrator is

m(n)

m'(n)

delay one time step

m(n-1)

Using this in the overall delta sigma modulator of before

m'(n)

m(n)

e(n)

eq(n

encoder

delay one time step

m(n-1)

mq'(n-1)

delay one time step

mq'(n)

To simplify this block diagram consider the following feedback loop equivalence

G(z)
+ -

H(z)

G(z)

+ -

G(z)H(z)

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Now note the orientation of the blocks in the flow diagram

delay one time step

mq'(n-1)
mq'(n)

is equivalent to

mq'(n-1)
G(z)

delay one time step

delay one time step

mq'(n)

Note we have labeled the accumulator in the dashed box G(z). Hence the block diagram of the delta sigma reduces to

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+ m(n)

e(n)
+
-

G(z)

eq(n)
encoder

m(n-1)

G(z)

delay one time step

mq'(n-1)

mq'(n)

Which finally reduces to

+ m(n)
-

e(n)
+

G(z)

eq(n)

encoder

delay one time step

mq'(n-1)

mq'(n)

In the receiver we use a LPF to smooth out the granularity noise and eliminate the high frequency content.

Observation of Granularity Noise

To simplify the explanation of granularity noise consider the delta sigma in the continuous time domain instead of the discrete domain. Below we have replaced the discrete integrator with a continuous time one.

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x(t) + -

1/S

y(t)

To a very rough approximation we can represent the threshold detector as follows

n(t)

u(t)

v(t)

u(t)

v(t)

where n(t) is white noise that is independent of the input signal x(t) and the output signal y(t). (Generally this approximation is valid if the input signal u(t) looks sufficiently like a bandlimited gaussian random process.) Making this approximation the circuit model becomes

n(t)

x(t) + -

1/S

y(t)

Now note the following transfer functions in the Laplace domain: 1 Y (s) 1 = s = Low pass function 1 1+ s X ( s) 1+ s

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Y (s) = N ( s)

1 1 1+ s

s1 1+ s

High pass function

low pass PSD of input signal PSD of granularity noise

The lower the bandwidth of the input signal, the higher the output SNR.
Example

Consider an input signal into a DM of

m(t ) = A tanh( Bt ) Given the sampling interval T, find the minimum that still avoids slope overload. To avoid slope overload we require
dm(t ) max Ts dt dm(t ) AB 2 AB = AB sec h 2 ( Bt ) = = 2 dt cosh ( Bt ) exp( Bt ) + exp( Bt ) Consequently

max and

dm(t ) 2 AB = = AB 2 dt

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 Ts AB
Example

Repeat the previous example but with the input signal as a modulating signal as m(t ) = A cos(2ft ) The slope of m(t) is given as

dm(t ) = A2f sin(2ft ) dt such that dm(t ) A2f dt Hence A2f Ts

Now consider that the DM modulator is used for speech with a bandwidth of 3.4 kHz that samples at 10x Nyquist rate. To test the DM a 1 kHz tone will be used. What is the maximum amplitude of the test tone if =0.1. The sampling rate is

f smp = 10 2 3.4kHz = 68kHz From the previous part the maximum tone amplitude is given as A 0.1 68 = 1.08V = Ts 2f 2 1

Example SNR of a DM

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In this example the average quantization noise of a DM modulator will be determined for a low pass signal. It will be assumed that the slope of the incoming signal is such that slope overload does not occur. The PSD of the incoming signal is uniform from W to W. Next consider the autocorrelation function of the quantization noise. The quantization noise is difficult to characterize exactly as it depends on the input signal. To simplify this process two approximations will be made. 1. The input signal has a very small slope such that the quantization noise does not change much over the sampling interval. 2. The quantization noise is uncorrelated from one sampling epoch to the next. Based on this we can represent the quantization noise as in the following diagram.

2T

3T

4T

It is reasonable to assume that the quantization noise in each sampling epoch has a uniform PDF as shown in the diagram below:

1/2

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In this case the power of the granularity noise in each sample is given be
2 x

1 1 x3 2 dx = = 2 2 3 3

Now consider the autocorrelation function of the quantization noise x(t) based on the previous sketch. Two facts are known regarding this autocorrelation function. The first is that R x (0) = x
2

2 = 3

The second fact is that samples of x(t) separated by T or more have to be completely uncorrelated based on the assumptions made initially. Consequently
R x ( ) = 0 for

>T

Due to the uniform level of x(t) within a sampling interval we must have the following autocorrelation function as sketched below. For details of this solution see Haykin Chapter 1 in the Telegraphers signal example.
Rx() 2/3

Based on this autocorrelation function, the PSD of the quantization noise is then T2 Sx ( f ) = sin c 2 ( fT ) 3 Now it is given that the input signal bandwidth W is much smaller than 1/T such that the in band quantization noise is given approximately as T2 2W 2WS x (0) = 3
2

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Sx(f)

signal band

-W 0 W

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