Digital Modulations with

MATLAB’s Communications
Toolbox

©1998 BG Mobasseri 1 11/30/98

 Basic Steps

n To generate a digitally modulated signal,

the following steps have to be followed
– generate random data
– map them to a specific constellation(MATLAB
calls this digital to analog conversion)
– impress carrier modulation on the baseband
signal above

©1998 BG Mobasseri 2 11/30/98

 Baseband signal

n The function that maps your digital

information to a specific constellation is
modmap
MODMAP Maps digital signal to analog signal for modulation.
Y = MODMAP(X, Fd, Fs, METHOD, OPT1, OPT2, OPT3) maps a sample
frequency Fd (Hz) signal vector X in to a sample frequency Fs (Hz)
in-phase and quadrature components in Y. Y is a two column matrix.
The first column is an in-phase component and second column is a
quadrature component. When METHOD = 'ask', Y is a column vector
instead of a matrix. This function does mapping only. For digital
modulation, use DMOD for passband simulation and DMODCE for baseband
simulation.

©1998 BG Mobasseri 3 11/30/98

 Example: 8-Phase Modulation(8PSK)

x=randint(1,100,8): generate 1x100 integer

random numbers in the range {0 to 7}
y=modmap(x,1,10,'psk',8);
y is a 2-column vector containing the I and Q
signals.
plot(y(:,1)) for I and plot(y(:,2)) for Q

©1998 BG Mobasseri 4 11/30/98

 Example I-Q plots

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©1998 BG Mobasseri 5 11/30/98

 Arbitrary Constellations

n We can setup arbitrary shape constellations

in a number of ways
– y=modmap(x,fd,fs,‘qask/arb’,in_phase,quad)
n in-phase and quad are the x and y
components of the constellation points you
want to create

©1998 BG Mobasseri 6 11/30/98

 What are fd and fs?

n Symbol rate is given by fd. Usually this is

normalized to 1 symbol per second
n Sampling rate that MATLAB uses is fs
interpreted as samples per symbol (or
samples per second)

©1998 BG Mobasseri 7 11/30/98

 Constellations made of
concentric circles

n V.29 is an example of 4 concentric circles

9600 bps V.29
16-QAM
90

135 45

5 3 3 5
180 0

225 315
√2

3 3√2

©1998 BG Mobasseri 8 270 11/30/98

 Variation of modmap

n An expanded format of modmap is

– y=modmap(x,fd,fs,’qask/circle’,noc,roc,poc)
n noc: number of symbols on each circle
n roc: radii on each circle
n poc: phase shift on each circle, in radian

©1998 BG Mobasseri 9 11/30/98

 Actual numbers for V.29
n noc=[4 4 4 4] 9600 bps V.29
n roc=[sqrt(2) 3 3sqrt(2) 5] 16-QAM
90
n poc=[pi/4 0 pi/4 0]

135 45

5 3 3 5
180 0

225 315
√2

3 3√2

270
©1998 BG Mobasseri 10 11/30/98
 Doing the modulations

n The output of modmap goes into dmod to

produce RF modulation
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©1998 BG Mobasseri 11 11/30/98