3.

4 Example of Signal Configuration

This section describes the configuration procedure for a single-carrier signal by way of an example.
Signal impairments are not simulated. All impairment components are switched off (grey). The
configuration of the block diagram is shown in Fig. 3-3 Single-carrier block diagram
.

The steps required for generating an I/Q signal from the selection of the data source and configuration
of the modulation to the graphics display of the signal or the transmission to AMIQ are described in the
sections below.

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3.4.1 Selecting the Data Source

The binary data source to be used for I/Q signal generation is selected in the Data Source panel (first
block in the diagram). Five different types of data sources are available. These are All 0, All 1, PRBS,
Pattern and File. The desired data source can be selected by a mouse-click on the desired item (radio
button).

Fig. 3-4 Data Source Panel

All 0: Data source All 0 sends a sequence of binary 0 symbols.

All 1: Data source All 1 sends a sequence of binary 1 symbols.

PRBS: This data source can generate different pseudo-random binary sequences. The types PRBS 7,
PRBS 9, PRBS 11, PRBS 15, PRBS 16, PRBS 20, PRBS 21 and PRBS 23 can be selected in the field
at the right of the PRBS button.

Pattern: A bit pattern can also be used as a data source. The currently set bit pattern is indicated at the
right of the Pattern button. To change the pattern or to define a new one click on the bit pattern selection
field with the left mouse key.

File: The data source may also be a data file. The selected file is indicated in the field at the right of the
File selection box.

 The pseudo-random sequence PRBS 9 is used as a signal source in Fig. 3-4.

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3.4.2 Configuration of Modulation and Bandpass Filters

All modulation parameters of the signal are set in the Modulation Setting panel.

Fig. 3-5 Modulation Setting panel used in the example

Type of modulation
This is the most important parameter of the panel. The selected type is indicated in the Modulation
Type field. A click with the left mouse key on the field opens a two-level selection menu where the new
type of modulation can be set.

The modulation types are organized in groups. The first group contains phase shift keying (PSK), the
next quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and the last all the methods using frequency shift keying
(FSK).

PSK modulation modes

WinIQSIM supports six types of PSK modulation: BPSK, QPSK, Offset QPSK, /4 DQPSK, 8 PSK and 8
PSK EDGE.

QAM
Quadrature amplitude modulation is the second large modulation group. QAM uses phase and
amplitude modulation. A modulation status or modulation symbol represents several input data bits.
With 64QAM, for instance, a modulation symbol represents six input data bits. The transmission rate of
these symbols is lower than the bit rate by a factor of six. WinIQSIM supports the following QAM modes:
16QAM, 32QAM, 64QAM and 256QAM.

FSK
The third and last group are the digital frequency modulation modes (frequency shift keying). With FSK
the frequency of the input symbols is shifted. WinIQSIM supports the following FSK modes: MSK, 2FSK,
4FSK and GTFM.

 In the example, /4 DQPSK modulation is selected. /4-shifted differentially encoded QPSK is a
differential 4-phase modulation with an additional phase shift of /4 at each modulation step.

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Table 3-1 Assignment of data symbols to phase differences with /4 DQPSK

Data symbol Phase difference

00 45°
01 135°
10 225°
11 315°

The advantage of /4 DQPSK is that phase transitions of +or -do not occur.

Modulationsparameter
Other parameters can also be configured depending on the selected modulation type. With the /4
DQPSK modulation selected in the example, only the reference level is of interest.
Reference level: Here the maximum signal reference level used for PSK and QAM modulation is set.
 0 dB is set in the example.

Coding
The binary data stream from the source can be recorded with the aid of a coder. The coding types
supported by WinIQSIM do not contain redundancies. The number of coder input bits corresponds to
the number of output bits. Block coding is mainly used to adapt the mapping schemes supported by
WinIQSIM to the requirements of the respective communications standards.
 Coding is not used in the example (none).

Symbol rate: The symbol rate must be set so that the correct clock rate of the I/Q source AMIQ can be
set. Setting is performed in the Symbol Rate field.
The symbol rate can be varied between 10 symbols/s and 100 Msymbols/s.
 In the example a symbol rate of 100.000 symbols/s is set.

Sequence length: The sequence length specifies the length in data symbols of the I/Q signal to be
calculated. A memory of max. 4 Msamples is available in the output RAM of AMIQ for each of the I and
Q signals. In the single-carrier mode, the number of sampling values is the product of sequence length
and oversampling.
 In the example a length of 1000 symbols is selected.

Baseband filtering and filter parameters

This section describes the selection of the baseband filter and of associated filter parameters. All
baseband filters offered by WinIQSIM are lowpass filters.
The baseband filter and modulation play a decisive role in signal shaping in the frequency and time
domain.
The output sequence of modulation mapping is a complex pulse sequence that is applied to the
baseband filter. The filter output signal is obtained by a convolution of filter impulse response and
complex modulation pulse sequence.
In WinIQSIM the following filter modes can be selected: None, Rect, Root Cosine, Cosine, Gaussian,
Gaussian EDGE, PRS, user filter.
 In the example a Root Cosine filter with a roll-off factor of 0.6 is used.

Window function and window parameters

The impulse response of a filter to a data symbol is spread over several symbol periods. The number of
symbol periods during which the impulse response of the filter is considered in the calculation of the I

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and Q components is determined by the Impulse Length. The Window Function is an additional filter
that can be placed over the impulse response for a period determined by the impulse length. The
window function should be used with filters featuring a slowly decreasing impulse response (eg cosine
filter) to reduce adjacent-channel interference.
In WinIQSIM five window functions can be selected: Rect, Hanning, Kaiser, Hamming, Chebyshev.
 A rectangular window is used in the example shown.

Impulse length
As already mentioned, the impulse length specifies the number of symbol periods of the filter impulse
response that are considered in the I/Q calculation. The pulse length can be set between 1 and 32
symbol periods in the Impulse Length field.
 In the example an impulse length of 12 is used.

Oversampling
Oversampling determines the number of sampling values to be calculated for each symbol. This factor
helps to increase the frequency offset of the aliasing products produced by D/A conversion of the signal.
A good compromise for the oversampling factor are values between 4 and 12. Oversampling can be set
between 1 and 32.
To simplify the selection of correct oversampling, the latter can also be automatically selected (check
box Auto).
 In the example Oversampling Auto is selected.

Baseband pulse: In this field the baseband pulse used for exciting the baseband filter is selected.
 Auto is used in the example shown.

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3.5 Graphics Representation of Configured Signal

The graphics panel is an important tool for viewing and checking the signal configuration. In this panel
the generated I/Q signal or representations derived thereof like the vector diagram or the signal
spectrum can be displayed.
The display format and associated graphics parameters can be selected and set in the Graphic Setting
panel. The display scaling can also be selected.

Fig. 3-6 Graphic Setting panel used in the example

 Select the Vector format in the Graphic Setting panel and autoscaling for the I and Q axes. Press the
Plot Graph button. The Graphics panel is displayed with the vector diagram as shown below. Then
select for example the graphics format FFT MAG and press the Plot Graph button so that the FFT
magnitude spectrum is displayed.

Fig. 3-7 Vector diagram and FFT magnitude spectrum of the defined signal

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WinIQSI
M

3.6 Transmitting the Signal to AMIQ

The defined signal can be transmitted to AMIQ in the Transmission panel (AMIQ: Transmission).
Make sure that an AMIQ is really connected to your PC (GPIB/IEEE 488.2 or RS232).
Ensure that the Internal 2.5 MHz filter option is selected in the AMIQ Lowpass Filter
panel. This prepares the I/Q signal for the internal 2.5 MHz lowpass filter of AMIQ (for details refer
to chapter 5).
A comment on the current signal can be entered in the User File Info field. The comment is stored
in the AMIQ together with the signal and can be read again.
Select Internal (WinIQSIM) as a signal source for transmitting the currently configured signal to
AMIQ. Select AMIQ RAM as the destination.

Fig. 3-8 Transmission panel

 Start the selected Internal => RAM transmission with the Transmit button. A connection to AMIQ
will be established and the signal file transmitted to the output RAM of AMIQ. If the
Automatically load and start... option is selected in the Interface and Transmission Options
panel, the signal in the AMIQ is output immediately after the transmission. The AMIQ output
signal can be displayed for instance on an oscilloscope in the XY mode and compared to the
vector diagram in the WinIQSIM graphics panel.