MODULATIONS-

NR/5G
BY SURAJ KUMAR
 QPSK
16 QAM MODULATIONS
SUPPORTED
64 QAM
256 QAM
1024 QAM
 EXAMPLE
NR 30Khz SCS Radio format As per 38.211

1 Radio Frame = 10 subframe = 10ms

NOTE : 1 Sub Frame = 2 Time slots =1ms
Actual calculations are 1Time Slot = 14 OFDM Symbols = 0.5ms
based on PDSCH
available resource,
where all Bandwidth:100Mhz| Any Band Supporting As per 38.101-1/FR1
273 RBs across 280
OFDM Symbol will be
not valid, Here
illustration is just for
example with one layer.

As per 38.214,
Frequency Domain As per 38.214
100Mhz-273 RB’s
1 RB*12 = 12Subcarriers
273 RBs *12 =3276 Subcarriers In Total 917280
(X) Resource Elements
Time Domain
1Radio Frame= 14 * 20 = 280 OFDM Symbols
Merging Time Domain * Frequency Domain= OFDMA
 EXAMPLE

1 RE * QPSK = 2Bits
1 RE * 16QAM= 4Bits
1 RE * 64QAM= 6Bits

917280 1 RE * 256QAM=8Bits
Resource Elements 1 RE * 1024QAM=10Bits

QPSK 16QAM 64QAM 256QAM 1024QAM

 Adaptive Modulation

64QAM 256QAM 1024

QPSK 16QAM
QAM

SINR Lower To Higher……

QPSK Modulation is lowest Modulation possible in NR Traffic – Provides Robusticity and
Widely used at lower Coverage Scenarios , Offer 2bits/symbol [Throughput Gain minimal]
16 QAM Modulation is Moderate Modulation in NR Traffic – Provides Robusticity and
Widely used at Marginal Coverage Scenarios , Offer 4bits/symbol [Throughput Gain Moderate]

① ① ③ ③

① ① ③ ③

② ② ④ ④

② ② ④ ④

16QAM
 64 QAM Modulation is Higher Modulation for NR Traffic –Widely used at Good Coverage
Scenarios, Low Fading loss , Offer 6bits/symbol [Throughput Gain High]

① ① ① ① ③ ③ ③ ③
① ① ① ① ③ ③ ③ ③

① ① ① ① ③ ③ ③ ③
① ① ① ① ③ ③ ③ ③

② ② ② ② ④ ④ ④ ④
② ② ② ② ④ ④ ④ ④

② ② ② ② ④ ④ ④ ④
② ② ② ② ④ ④ ④ ④

64QAM
 256 QAM Modulation is Higher Modulation for NR Traffic –Widely used at Very Good
Coverage Scenarios, Low Fading loss Very Low Mobility , Offer 8bits/symbol
[Throughput Gain Very High]
① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③
① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③
① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③
① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③
① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③
① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③
① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③
① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③ ③

② ② ② ② ② ② ② ② ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④
② ② ② ② ② ② ② ② ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④
② ② ② ② ② ② ② ② ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④
② ② ② ② ② ② ② ② ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④
② ② ② ② ② ② ② ② ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④
② ② ② ② ② ② ② ② ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④
② ② ② ② ② ② ② ② ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④
② ② ② ② ② ② ② ② ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④ ④
 1024 QAM Modulation is Highest Modulation for NR Traffic –Widely used at Extremely
Good Coverage Scenarios, Low Fading loss Very Low Mobility ,
Offer 10 bits/symbol [Throughput Gain Very High]

①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③
①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③
①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③
①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③
①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③
①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③
①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③
①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ①①①① ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③ ③③③③

②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④
②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④
②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④
②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④
②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④
②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④
②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④
②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ②②②② ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④ ④④④④

1024 QAM
 MCS- MODULATION CODING SCHEME

RE#1
1 RE * QPSK = 2Bits
CODE RATE (X) MODULATION 1 RE * 16QAM= 4Bits RE#2
1 RE * 64QAM= 6Bits RE#3

RE#4
1 RE * 256QAM = 8Bits
1 RE * 1024QAM= 10Bits RE#5

RE#6
CQI index modulation code rate x 1024 efficiency
RX Sensitivity Based Code Rate RE#7
on “CRS” decoded Based on SNR RE#8
Key Parameter- Modulation Rates –Decision 1
2
QPSK
QPSK
78
193
0.1523
0.377
RE#9
3 QPSK 449 0.877
SINR/SNR Based 4 16QAM 378 1.4766
RE#10
5 16QAM 616 2.4063
6 64QAM 567 3.3223 RE#11
7 64QAM 666 3.9023
8 64QAM 772 4.5234 RE#12
9 64QAM 873 5.1152
10 256QAM 711 5.5547
11 256QAM 797 6.2266
12 256QAM 885 6.9141
13 256QAM 948 7.4063
14 1024QAM 853 8.3301
15 1024QAM 948 9.2578
UE Reports
“CQI”
 MODULATION CODING SCHEME
BASED ON CQI Reported by UE relying on SNR sensitivity
High-PHY allocates corresponding MCS- Modulation Coding Scheme
Spectral
MCS Index Modulation Order Target code Rate R x
efficiency
IMCS Qm [1024]
0
1
2
2
120
193
0.2344
0.3770
Conclusively
2 2 449 0.8770
3 4 378 1.4766
4 4 490 1.9141 Higher the SNR= Higher the Modulation
5 4 616 2.4063
6 6 466 2.7305
7 6 517 3.0293 Lower SNR = Lower Modulation
8 6 567 3.3223
9 6 616 3.6094
10 6 666 3.9023 Lower Modulation = Lower Throughput
11 6 719 4.2129
12 6 772 4.5234
13 6 822 4.8164
14 6 873 5.1152
15 8 682.5 5.3320
16 8 711 5.5547
17 8 754 5.8906
18 8 797 6.2266
19 8 841 6.5703
20 8 885 6.9141
21 8 916.5 7.1602
22 8 948 7.4063
23 10 805.5 7.8662
24 10 853 8.3301
25 10 900.5 8.7939
26 10 948 9.2578
 So overall calculations,
Performed previously will be being estimated based on LDPC Coding supported with
maximum code rate to 948 which turns out to be 948/1024= 0.925 *10Bits * Re’s

MCS CODE RATE CODE RATE/1024

0 120 0,1171875 Due to Code Rate Limitations, we can observe the overall Expected Throughput
1 193 0,188476563 Calculated Throughput based on Code Rates
2 449 0,438476563
3
4
378
490
0,369140625
0,478515625
1024 QAM 16 QAM
5 616 0,6015625
6 466 0,455078125
7 517 0,504882813
8 567 0,553710938
9 616 0,6015625
10
11
666
719
0,650390625
0,702148438
256 QAM QPSK
12 772 0,75390625
13 822 0,802734375
14 873 0,852539063
15 882 0,861328125
16 711 0,694335938
17 754 0,736328125
18 797 0,778320313
64 QAM
19 841 0,821289063
20 885 0,864257813 *Note the above estimate is
21 916 0,89453125
22 948 0,92578125 on 10ms as
23 805 0,786132813 Radio Frame *100
24 853 0,833007813
25 900 0,87890625 for seconds calculations
26 948 0,92578125
 MODULATION TEST IN LAB- CONDUCTED MODE
As per 38.141-1Release 17 specification as refrence here in above example was FR1 with below given
test models.

• Frequency Error
TM1.1 • Error Vector Magnitude
QPSK

• Frequency Error
TM3.2
• Error Vector Magnitude
16QAM

• Frequency Error
TM3.1
• Error Vector Magnitude
64QAM

• Frequency Error
TM3.1a
• Error Vector Magnitude
256QAM

TM 3.1b
• Frequency Error
1024 • Error Vector Magnitude
QAM