ECE 141 Lecture 15:

Trellis Coded Modulation

Set Partitioning, Combined Encoder and Modulator, Coding and Decoding Method

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 1

Bandwidth-Limited
Communication Channels
❑ In linear codes and convolutional codes, transmission bit rate
increases to accommodate parity bits while maintaining data
rate.
❑ Over-all, this increases bandwidth used for transmission.
❑ Example: suppose we are using uncoded 4-PSK which achieves
spectral efficiency 𝜂 = 2. For a BER of 10−6 , the required SNR
per bit is
𝐸𝑏
= 10.5 dB
𝑁0
❑ In coding, we attempt to reduce the SNR per bit for the given
BER without increasing bandwidth.

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 2

Bandwidth-Limited
Communication Channels
❑ If we use coding with rate 2/3 for the PSK constellation
which uses 2 bits per symbol to 3 bits per symbol.
2 (t )
2 (t )

1 (t ) 1 (t )

4-PSK 8-PSK

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 3

Bandwidth-Limited
Communication Channels
❑ Using coded 8PSK will result in the same data rate and
bandwidth as uncoded 4PSK.
❑ Downside: the SNR per bit required for a BER of 10−6
increases by approximately 4 dB.
❑ This must be compensated by the coding gain from
the 2/3 code.

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 4

4PSK to 8PSK 2 (t )
2 (t )
𝑑8
𝑑4

1 (t ) 1 (t )

𝜋 𝜋
𝑑42 = 4𝐸 sin2 𝑑82 = 4𝐸 sin2
4 8

4-PSK 8-PSK
𝑑42
10 log 2 = 5.38 dB
𝑑8
5.38 dB SNR loss

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 5

4ASK to 8ASK
4-ASK x x x x

8-ASK x x x x x x x x

❑ The respective minimum distances are:

2
𝐸 2
𝐸
𝑑4 = 𝑑8 =
5 21
❑ The SNR loss is:
𝑑42
10 log 2 = 6.23 dB
𝑑8

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 6

Trellis Coded Modulation
❑ SOLUTION: combine modulation and encoding process to
increase minimum distance between pairs of coded signals.
❑ In integrated modulation and coding, the key lies in devising an
effective means of mapping coded bits to maximized Euclidean
Distance.
❑ In this way, the coded transmission will overcome the SNR
per bit loss using relatively simple codes.
❑ The first step in coding is to partition the constellation.

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 7

Set Partitioning
❑ Example: Partitioning 8PSK

2 0
3 1

4 𝑑1 = 2𝐸
0

5 7
1
6

𝑑0 = 2− 2 𝐸

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 8

 Set Partitioning
0 1

𝑑1 = 2𝐸

0 1 0 1

00 10 01 11

𝑑2 = 2 𝐸

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 9

Trellis Coded Modulation
1
1
2 Binary Select subset
⋮ Encoder ⋮ 2 1,2, … , 2𝑛
𝑘1
𝑛
1 Select point
2 from subset
Uncoded bits ⋮
𝑘2 1,2, … , 2𝑘2

❑ The message bits are split into two.

❑ The first 𝑘1 bits are encoded into 𝑛 bits and the other 𝑘2 bits
are uncoded.
❑ If 𝑘2 = 0, the constellation is partitioned completely into the
lowest level.
❑ This setup creates parallel transitions in a state diagram.

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 10

Example
𝑏1 𝑐3

𝑐2

𝑏0 𝑧 −1 𝑧 −1
𝑐1

❑ 2,1,2 convolutional coder is used to map one bit into two

and the other input bit is uncoded.
❑ In effect, this system has a coding rate of 2/3.
❑ Note 𝑘1 = 𝑘2 = 1.

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 11

 Example
❑ Constellation partitions using 8PSK

00 01 10 11
𝐶0 𝐶2 𝐶1 𝐶3

❑ Trellis Diagram
States are defined by the current
and previous value of 𝑏1
𝑐1,𝑛+1 = 𝑏0,𝑛
0/𝐶0 1/𝐶1 𝑐2,𝑛+1 = 𝑏0,𝑛−1 + 𝑏0,𝑛+1
Note: distance of points within
partition is 2 𝐸 and between
00 01 10 partitions is 2𝐸.
11
ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 12
Example
❑ Trellis Diagram ❑ Parallel transitions
0/𝐶0 0/000
00 00 0/100

01 01

10 10

1/001
11 11
1/𝐶1 1/101

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 13

 Maximizing the Euclidean
Distance
❑ To maximize the Euclidean distance between paths in the
parallel trellis, the following rules must be followed:
1. Parallel branches are mapped into signals from the last
partition to maximize distance between symbols in a partition.
00 10 01 11

2. All branches which originate from a state are mapped unto

signals from the same partition.
3. All signals appear with equal probability.
ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 14
Minimum Distance Between
Trellis Paths
❑ Take the minimum non-zero trellis path that goes back to the
zero state. Solve for the distance between them.
❑ In our example:
0/𝐶0 0/𝐶0 0/𝐶0
00 Distance from 0 to 𝑇:
𝑑1 = 2𝐸
Distance from 𝑇 to 2𝑇:
01
𝑑2 = 2− 2 𝐸
Distance from 2𝑇 to 3𝑇:
10 𝑑3 = 2𝐸
Minimum distance between
trellis paths:
11
𝑑12 + 𝑑22 + 𝑑32 = 4.586𝐸
0 𝑇 2𝑇 3𝑇

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 15

Evaluating the Reliability
❑ RECALL: Minimum distance between symbols define the
reliability of the modulation.
❑ In our example, the minimum distance between two symbols
in the lowest-level partition is:
𝑑0 = 2 𝐸
❑ The minimum distance is equal to the minimum between the
minimum distance within the lowest-level partition, and the
minimum path distance, i.e.
2
𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑛 = min 4𝐸, 4.586𝐸 = 4𝐸
❑ The uncoded 4PSK in the example has a minimum distance of
2
𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 2𝐸.
❑ A coding gain of 3 dB is achieved.
ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 16
Decoding TCM
❑ Let the received symbols be 𝑟 = 𝑟0 … 𝑟𝑚 - all complex
numbers. The decoding is done over two stages:
1. Compute the distance between 𝑟 and all the possible symbols.
This is the ML detection rule.
2 2 2
𝑑 = 𝑟𝑖𝐼 − 𝑠𝑖𝐼 + 𝑟𝑖𝑄 − 𝑠𝑖𝑄 ∀𝑖 ∈ 0,1, … , 𝑚
▪ Retain the branch with the minimum distance. This reduces the
trellis from parallel branches to single branches.
2. Decode the trellis using Viterbi Algorithm. Note that you can
use MLSD algorithm but it will be computationally inefficient.

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 17

 Example
❑ Using the same 8PSK constellation with 2,1,2 convolutional coding,
let the received signal be:
𝑟 = 0.9 − 𝑗0.4 1.1 − 𝑗0.3 1 + 𝑗0.1 0.8 − 𝑗0.4 1.2 − 𝑗0.2
❑ Let 0 = 000 , 1 = 001 , until 7 = 111 .
Bits PSK symbol 0.9 − 𝑗0.4 1.1 − 𝑗0.3 1 + 𝑗0.1 0.8 − 𝑗0.4 1.2 − 𝑗0.2
000 1 + 𝑗0 𝟎. 𝟏𝟕 𝟎. 𝟏𝟎 𝟎. 𝟎𝟏 𝟎. 𝟐𝟎 𝟎. 𝟎𝟖
001 2/2 + 𝑗 2/2 − 𝟏. 𝟏𝟕 𝟎. 𝟒𝟓 𝟏. 𝟐𝟑 𝟏. 𝟎𝟕
010 0 + 𝑗1 2.77 2.90 𝟏. 𝟖𝟏 2.60 2.88
011 − 2/2 + 𝑗 2/2 − 4.28 3.28 3.50 4.46
100 −1 + 𝑗0 3.77 4.50 4.01 3.40 4.88
101 − 2/2 − 𝑗 2/2 − 3.43 3.57 2.37 3.89
110 0 − 𝑗1 𝟏. 𝟏𝟕 𝟏. 𝟕𝟎 2.21 𝟏. 𝟎𝟎 𝟐. 𝟎𝟖
111 2/2 − 𝑗 2/2 − 𝟎. 𝟑𝟐 𝟎. 𝟕𝟒 𝟎. 𝟏𝟎 𝟎. 𝟓𝟎

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 18

 Example
❑ Solve for the surviving paths and branches.
0/000 0/000 0.17 0/000 0.27 0/000 0.28 0/000 0.48 0/000 0.56
00 0/100
4.15 3.32 4.12

2.35
01 2.34 2.32 3.31

2.23 2.04 2.68

1.17 1.87 2.08 1.28 2.56
10 2.35 2.52 3.39

1.49 2.61 2.18 1.78

1/001
11
1/101 1/001 1.94 1/001 3.17 1/001 3.25

𝑟 0.9 − 𝑗0.4 1.1 − 𝑗0.3 1.0 + 𝑗0.1 0.8 − 𝑗0.4 1.2 − 𝑗0.2

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 19

 Example
❑ Surviving paths:
0/000 0/000 0.17 0/000 0.27 0/000 0.28 0/000 0.48 0/000 0.56
00 0/100

2.35
01

1.28 2.56
10

1.78
1/001
11
1/101

𝑟 0.9 − 𝑗0.4 1.1 − 𝑗0.3 1.0 + 𝑗0.1 0.8 − 𝑗0.4 1.2 − 𝑗0.2
𝑚/
ෝ 𝑐Ƹ 00/000 00/000 00/000 00/000 00/000

ECE 141: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION I 20