QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying)

QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) is a phase modulation algorithm.

Phase modulation is a frequency modulation version where the carrier wave’s phase is modulated to
encode bits of digital information in each phase change.

The “PSK” in QPSK refers to the use of Phased Shift Keying. Phased Shift Keying is a form of phase
modulation that is accomplished by using a discrete number of states. QPSK refers to PSK with 4
states. With half that number of states, there is a BPSK (Binary Phased Shift Keying). With twice the
number of states as QPSK, there is a 8PSK.
The “Quad” in QPSK refers to four phases in which a carrier is sent in QPSK: 45, 135, 225, and 315

degrees.

QPSK Encoding

Because QPSK has 4 possible states, QPSK can encode two bits per symbol.
Phase Data

45 degrees Binary 00

135 degrees Binary 01

225 degrees Binary 11

315 degrees Binary 10

QPSK is more tolerant of link degradation than 8PSK, but does not provide as much data capacity.
QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation)
QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) is a method of combining two amplitude-modulated
(AM) signals into a single channel, thereby doubling the effective bandwidth. QAM is used with
pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) in digital systems, especially in wireless applications.

In a QAM signal, there are two carriers, each having the same frequency but differing in phase
by 90 degrees (one quarter of a cycle, from which the term quadrature arises). One signal is
called the I signal, and the other is called the Q signal. Mathematically, one of the signals can be
represented by a sine wave, and the other by a cosine wave. The two modulated carriers are
combined at the source for transmission. At the destination, the carriers are separated, the
data is extracted from each, and then the data is combined into the original modulating
information.

These two carrier waves represent the in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) components of our signal. Individually
each of these signals can be represented as:

I = A cos(φ) and Q = A sin(φ).

Note that the I and Q components are represented as cosine and sine because the two signals are 90 degrees out of
phase with one another. Using the two identities above and the following trigonometric identity

cos(α + β) = cos(α)cos(β) – sin(α)sin(β),

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rewrite a carrier wave A cos(2πfct + φ) as

A cos(2πfct + φ) = I cos(2πfct) – Q sin(2πfct).

As the equation above illustrates, the resulting identity is a periodic signal whose phase can be adjusted by changing
the amplitude of I and Q. Thus, it is possible to perform digital modulation on a carrier signal by adjusting the
amplitude of the two mixed signals.