Introduction to Practical Exercises using MODICOM 2 Board

In this document you will carry out a number of exercises which allow you to observe the
various input and output signals of the units which comprise the PAM Modulator and
theTransmit Multiplexer of the MODICOM 2 board.

The Multiplexer is the unit that allows each sample from each information signal to be passed
to the transmission medium in the correct order and at the correct moment in time. Successful
operation of the multiplexer is dependent upon a number of design features, each of which
will be analyzed during the exercises you will be carrying out.

Before starting any of the following practical exercises, ensure that all of the electrical
equipment is switched off.

Practical Exercise

The MODICOM 2 board will use single audio range frequencies to simulate information
signals. These are provided by the Function Generator.

Connect the power supply to the MODICOM 2 board in accordance with Table 1 and Figure
1.

I.C. Power 60 Supply Terminal MODICOM 2 SOCKET

+5V,1A RED Terminal +5V
0V BLACK Terminal 0V
+12V RED Terminal +12V
0V BLACK Terminal 0V
-12V BLUE Terminal -12V
Table 1 Power Supply Connections

IC POWER 60
+12V
5V, 1A
0V

-12V

To ground
on oscilloscope

+5V 0V +12V 0V -12V

MODICOM 2

Figure 1

Connect the ground of the oscilloscope to 0V on the MODICOM 2 board.

Switch on the Power Supply.

Turn each variable resistor control (Figure 2) in the Function Generator, fully
clockwise.

min. max. 250Hz

variable resistor

Figure 2

Use the oscilloscope to observe the waveform at the following outputs on the
Function Generator:
250Hz.
500Hz.
1kHz.
2kHz.

These frequencies will be used to simulate information signals during the practical exercises
to be carried out on this board.

Now turn each variable resistor in the Function Generator counter-clockwise and
notice the effect on the signal waveform. It should reduce in amplitude.

In your Workbook note the maximum and minimum signal levels achieved (To an
accuracy of +/- 0.2 Volts)

Practical Exercise

The Transmitter Timing Logic unit on the MODICOM 2 board is similar to many circuits
found on other TDM transmitters and the principle of operation is the same throughout. This
circuit essentially controls the sampling of the input information channels. The sampling
control is derived from a 64kHz. clock circuit. In this practical exercise you will observe and
sketch the control signals that operate the sampling switches.

Note: You should bear in mind that, as for the MODICOM 1 board, each sampling switch
requires a low voltage signal to operate (i.e. to close and pass the information amplitude at
that time). This means that the Duty Cycle Signal has to be inverted.

Connect the ground of the oscilloscope to 0V on the MODICOM 2 board.

Switch on the power supply

Set the Duty Cycle Control to "5" (Figure 3)

 DUTY
CYCLE
CONTROL
4
5

Figure 3

Using the oscilloscope, observe the Duty Cycle Control waveform at Test Point (tp) 4.

In your workbook note the frequency of this rectangular waveform.

Now adjust the Duty Cycle Control switch from 0 to 9 and in your workbook explain
how the Duty Cycle Waveform changes. One Period of this waveform is called a
Timeslot and is the period during which One Channel is sampled.

Return the Duty Cycle Control switch to position "5".

Now, as stated above, one information channel is sampled during one cycle of the Duty Cycle
Control waveform. The sampling occurs when the control signal goes "low" and closes the
switch, allowing the information signal to pass during the sample duration.

Using the Duty Cycle Control frequency as seen at tp4, estimate how often an
individual information channel is sampled.

Leave one oscilloscope probe connected to tp4.

Use the other oscilloscope probe to observe the sampling switch control waveform at
tp7, then tp8, tp9 and tp10.

You should have noticed that if you have carefully compared the sampling switch control
waveform to the Duty Cycle Control signal there is a slight delay between the two signals.

This will become even more pronounced when the Duty Cycle Control signal is compared to
the channel sample.

This is due to the inherent delays introduced by the Integrated Circuit (I.C.) units used
in digital systems. This is an extremely important feature of digital systems and means
that timing delays must be taken into account in most digital systems design.
 voltage (V)
Waveform at tp4
5

0 62.5 125 time (µs)

voltage (V)
Waveform at tp7
5

62.5 125 time (µs)

0
voltage (V)
Waveform at tp8
5

0 62.5 125 time (µs)

voltage (V)
Waveform at tp9
5

0 62.5 125 time (µs)

voltage (V)
Waveform at tp10
5

0 62.5 125 time (µs)

Figure 4

Practical Exercise

On this board, the information signals are sampled to provide PAM in a manner similar to
that seen on the MODICOM 1 board. The essential difference in this case is that
multiplexing, or interleaving of the samples from each input channel, occurs as part of the
same process to produce TDM. This is best visualized by reference to Figure 5.
Here we can see the test points tp7, 8, 9 and 10 where you observed the sampling switch
control waveforms. By reference to your Workbook sketches of those waveforms you should
be able to see that each channel is switched through to a common transmitter one after the
other as switches at test points 12, 14, 16 and 18 close sequentially.

Figure 5

Now that you have a better understanding of the operation of the TDM process on this board
you are in a position to observe the TDM waveform.

Connect the ground of the oscilloscope to 0V on the MODICOM 2 board.

Switch on the power supply.

Set the Duty Cycle Control switch to "1" to obtain a short duration pulse.

Connect the 2kHz signal output of the Function Generator to the Channel 3 input of the
transmitter.

Use one oscilloscope probe to observe the channel 3 input signal at tp17. Trigger the
oscilloscope on this signal.

Adjust the variable resistor associated with the 2kHz signal on the Function Generator
to obtain a peak information signal voltage of 2V.

With the second oscilloscope probe observe the sampled signal at tp20.
 You can now observe the sampled signal of channel 3 at the transmitter output.

Notice that the gap between samples is very much larger than the sample duration. We saw
this on the MODICOM 1 board, and concluded then that these time intervals could be used
more efficiently.

Increase the Duty Cycle Control, observe and record in your workbook the effect at
tp20.

You can now add the other three input channel signals and observe the complete multiplexed
signal waveform. To help you differentiate between input information signals, different
channels have been allocated different signal amplitudes.

Connect the Function Generator outputs to the transmitter input channels as shown in
Table 2 and Figure 6.

Function Generator Sinewave Transmitter

Frequency Peak Voltage Input Channel
250Hz 5V CH.0
500Hz 4V CH.1
1kHz 3V CH.2
2kHz 2V CH.3
Table 2

FUNCTION GENERATOR
TRANSMITTER 7 8 9 10

11 12
CH.0 +1
+5V
0V

SYNC. 13 14
LEVEL CH.1 +1
0V
0V
250Hz

15 16
CH.2 +1
TX
500Hz
OUTPUT
19
0V +1
1kHz 17 18
CH.3 +1
20
2kHz
0V 0V

Figure 6

Trigger the oscilloscope externally by setting the oscilloscope to external trigger, and
connecting the external trigger input to the CH.0 test point at tp11.

Leave the second oscilloscope probe connected to tp20.

Set the Duty Cycle Control to "5".

Set the Time/Division setting on the oscilloscope to 0.2ms/Div.

You can now observe the Time Division Multiplexed PAM samples. Careful examination of
the oscilloscope display will reveal all four sampled information signals. To verify the
PAM/TDM process carry out the following procedure.

Leaving the external trigger input connected to tp11 and the second oscilloscope probe
connected to tp20, connect the first probe to tp18, to display the 2kHz information
signal at Channel 3.

Ensure that both oscilloscope amplifiers are set at 2V/Div.

You should now observe the 2kHz analog information signal superimposed upon the
TDM waveform. By carefully adjusting the Y Position control for the first oscilloscope
probe you should be able to match the analog signal to its sampled waveform.

Repeat this procedure for information signals at Ch.2, Ch.1 and Ch.0 by connecting the
first oscilloscope probe to test points 16, 14 and 12 respectively.

In your Workbook sketch the TDM waveform at tp20 over approximately 200µs,
clearly indicating which sample is associated with each input channel.

HINT:

If you are experiencing difficulty in determining which sampled

waveform belongs to which channel:

Set the oscilloscope Time Base to 20µ

µs/Div, leaving all other controls
and inputs as set.

Leave channel 0 connected at all times and then remove and replace the
connection from the Function Generator to each input channel in turn.

By doing this, the sampled waveform associated with each channel will
disappear from the oscilloscope display as the appropriate link is
removed, making identification easier.
Summary of Practical Exercises

First Practical Exercise

Allowed you to refamiliarize yourself with the way in which information signals may be
simulated by single, analog test frequencies that are within the bandwidth of the information
signal.

The other Practical Exercises

Demonstrated how the sampling switches in a PAM/TDM system are controlled by a pulse
train from a Transmitter Timing Logic circuit. By varying the Duty Cycle of this pulse train
the sample duration time may be varied.

In a combined PAM/TDM modulator and multiplexer unit, the sampling switches can be
arranged and controlled to close and open sequentially in a cyclic manner. As each switch
closes, a sample of the input information signal is allowed to pass to the Transmitter output.

The net result of this process is a Time Division Multiplexed output signal where several
information signals share the same transmission medium without mutually interfering with
each other.

In effect, the information signals are separated from each other in time.