Experiment (8)

Adaptive Delta Modulation

1 Objective
 Study of adaptive delta modulation.
 Study the elimination of the slope overloading by “Auto” adaptive
commanding.

2 Equipment
 Panel DL 2542
 Power supply unit DL155
 Double trace oscilloscope
 Signal generator

3 Theory
Some improvements of the performances of the Delta system are
possible without the transmission band. These improvements are carried out
if the step amplitude is fitted to the situation instead remaining constant,
system of this kind we have to make sure that, during the period where the
signal changes slowly, the elementary step amplitude is reduced, by
reducing therefore the quantization error, while during the period where the
signal changes quickly, the elementary step amplitude is increased.

These systems are known Adaptive Delta Modulation (ADM also defined
as variable slope Delta modulation systems.
It is obviously necessary that the receiver is able to rebuild the
approximated "step" function in course of transmission, therefore the
algorithm that controls the step amplitude has to be applied to both the
transmitting and receiving terminations. To look into the concept let's
consider a practical example: let's suppose that a given sequence of bit
representing a Delta encoded signal, contains an about equal number of "1"
and of "0".

1
This means that the original signal varies a little. In these conditions it
would be useful to devise an equipment able to reduce automatically the
amplitude of the elementary step in such a way to reduce the quantization
noise. Let’s suppose now that in the bit sequence there is a very
predominant number of "1" or. This means that the original function is
quickly variable and therefore in these conditions the ideal equipment that
we are considering would have to be able to increase automatically the
elementary step amplitude in a way that the approximated "step" signal
follows more closely the quick variations of the original signal. See Fig. 1
An integrator circuit sums the value of the bit ("0" and "1") relative to a
certain period.
If the sum deviates from the medium value of the bit number in the period
the amplitude of the elementary step is increased. If the sum approaches to
a half of the bit number, the step amplitude is reduced to the minimum
value. In practice the bit sum is translated in a voltage that is then used to
drive a variable gain amplifier.
The amplification is minimum when the input voltage corresponds to an
equal number of "1" and of "0" in the period. The amplifier controls the
quantization step amplitude. This quantization algorithm generator has
obviously to be present both in the transmitter and in the receiver. With the
use of the ADM .It is possible to transmit the telephone signals with
acceptable quality by using a transmission speed of 32 kbit/sec. This is
significant in comparison with the 64 Kbit/sec. (8 bits every second for 8000
samples every second) asked for the PCM transmission of a telephone
channel. This reduction of 2 to 1 in the transmission speed of the bits
is the reason of the considerable attention given these times to the Delta
modulation.

2
 Fig. 1- Adaptive delta modulator

4 Experimental Procedure
4.1

1. Connect the panel DL2542(see fig 2) to the ±15v power supply using
three cables of suitable colors.
2. Switch on the power supply.
3. Feed sinusoidal signal from the panel’s signal generator to the
transmitter’s input TpA Adjust the amplitude to 1Vp-p.
4. Set the duel channel oscilloscope with CH1 to TpB and CH2 to TpC.
Trigger to CH1. Display both signals.
5. Make the system operate with “MANUAL” control of the integration
step amplitude.
6. Set the clock frequency amplitude to mid-position.

3
7. Observe and evaluate the influence on the quality of the scale
approximated signal using of different amplitudes of the integration step
level (min, mid, max). Plot the waveforms.
8. Repeat step 7 by keeping the step amplitude to an intermediate fixed
value. Observe the influence of the sampling frequency (steps of min,
mid, max) on the quality of the approximated signal. Plot the
waveforms.

4.2Adaptive Coding
1. First we will examine the manual operation of the step amplitude
controller, by setting the CRO CH1 to TpM and CH2 to TpI.
2. Keep the system operates with “Manual” control of the integration step
amplitude.
3. Change the setting of the step size potentiometer and record your
observation in
Table -1-.
Pot. Position TpM TpI
Stepsize (v) (v)
Min

Mid

Max

4. Connect external sinusoidal generator to the input circuit of the

transmitter (modulator) TpA.
5. Move CH1 of the CRO to TpB and CH2 to TpC, trigger on CH1. Display
both signals on the screen.

4
6. Set the integration step amplitude potentiometer to max (clockwise), that
is the minimum step size.
7. Adjust the sinusoidal input signal level to 2Vp-p.
8. While monitoring the two signals on the screen increase the input signal
frequency slowly and note that at a certain frequency the approximated
step signal at the integrator output TpC, no longer approximate the
analog input signal, but is triangular (censes to follow the message
signal). This is the first condition of slope overloading.
9. Move the level deviator switch from “MAN” to “AUTO”, now the
adaptive commanding is included and effective.
10. Observe the step approximated signal at the integrator’s output (TpC),
noting that the slope overloading problem has been eliminated and the
integrator’s output once again follows the analog input signal. Tabulate
your observation on
Table (2)
Deviator switch i/p signal TpM step TpL (v)
MAN/AUTO frequency (HZ) amplitude (v)

11. Reset the level deviator switch to “MANUAL”.

12. Adjust and fix the input signal frequency to 1KHz.
13. As in step 8, increase the input signal level gradually and monitor the
waveforms till the occurrence of the slope, overloading of the
approximated signal at TpC. This is the second condition of the slope
overloading.

5
14. Move the level deviator switch from “MAN” to “AUTO”. Starting the
auto adaptive companding.
15. Observe the step approximated signal, noting that the slope overloading
has been eliminated. Tabulate your observation on table (3).
Table (3)

Deviator switch i/p signal TpM step TpL (v)

MAN/AUTO frequency (HZ) amplitude (v)

6
Fig (2) DL 2542

7
5 Discussion
1- What is the advantage of ADM?
2- Compare between DM&ADM?
3- What is the purpose of transmitting synch. Signal?
4- What is the effect of step size on ADM?