Simulation of Communication

Systems
Professor Z. Ghassemlooy
Optical Communications Research Group
http://soe.unn.ac.uk/ocr/
School of Computing, Engineering and Information
Sciences

University of Northumbria at Newcastle,

UK
Eng. of S/W Pro., India

Outline of Presentation

Communications Systems
Simulation software types
Case Studies based on Matlab
Concluding Remarks

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Northumbria University at Newcastle, UK

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Telecommunications Research
Areas

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Photonics - Applications
Photonics in communications: expanding and scaling

Long-Haul

Metropolitan

Home access

Board -> Inter-Chip -> Intra-Ch

Photonics: diffusing into other application sectors
Health
(bio-photonics)

Environment
sensing

Security
imaging

School of Computing, Engineering and Information

Sciences Research
Optical Communications
Wireless

Wired

Optical Fibre
Communications
Chromatic dispersion
compensation using
optical signal processing
Pulse Modulations
Optical buffers
Optical CDMA

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Photonic
Switching
Fast switches
All optical routers

Indoor
Pulse Modulations
Equalisation
Error control coding
Artificial neural network &
Wavelet based receivers

Free-Space
Optics
(FSO)
Subcarrier modulation
Spatial diversity
Artificial neural
network/Wavelet
based receivers

OCRG People
Staff
Prof. Z Ghassemlooy
J Allen
Dr R Binns
Dr K Busawon
Dr W. P. Ng

Visiting Academics
Prof. V Ahmadi, Univ. Of Tarbiate Modaress , Tehran, Iran
Dr M. H. Aly, 2Arab Academy for Scie. and Tech. and Maritime Transport, Egypt
Prof. J.P. Barbot, France
Prof. I. Darwazeh, Univ. College London
Prof. H. Dring, Hochschule Mittweida Univ. of Applied Scie. (Germany)
Prof. E. Leitgeb, Graz Univ. of Techn. (Austria)

PhD Students
M. Amiri, A. Chaman-Motlagh, M. F. Chiang, M. A. Jarajreh, R. Kharel, S. Y Lebbe, W.
Loedhammacakra, Q. Lu, V. Nwanafio, E. K. Ogah, W. O. Popoola, S.
Rajbhandari, A.
Shalaby, X. Tang

MSc and Beng:

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A Burton, D Bell, G Aggarwal, M Ljaz, O Anozie, W Leong , S Satkunam

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Simulation Introduction
In recent years there has been a rapid growth in
application of computer simulation in
communication engineering.
Hardware becoming more complex and costly
A way forward to many researcher and teachers
is to implements ideas in the software
environment.
This allows testing of the system using idealised
processing elements, which may take a
significant time to design and realise in
hardware.
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Simulation Introduction
Can support the hardware design by
giving optimised component values, for
the critical parts, and an early indication
of the performance of the system
Allowing users to study or try things that
would be difficult or impossible in real life
Simulations are particularly useful
when a real-life process:
is too dangerous,
takes too long,
is too quick to study,
is too expensive to create.
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Simulation Tools - Some Features

Reliability - Depend on the validity of the simulation model,
therefore verification and validation are very important
Reproducibility of results
User friendly, simple and flexible (allowing user defined
functions)
Extensive details of theory adopted
High speed, precession and accuracy
Hidden source code + Up to date library
Debugging capabilities and Scalability
Can readily be upgraded and updated

Cost effective and time saving

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Simulation Tools - Disadvantages

Poor modelling or poor data collection can lead
to:
inaccuracy or
completely misleading results

Obsession - can lead to superficial

understanding and no experimental verification
However, simulation tools have become
integral part of todays research and teaching
activities
Mainly for cost reasons

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Simulation Software Application

in Engineering

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Simulation Software Key

Features
Numerical Integration procedures
E.g. Matlab has a number of procedures

Rung-Kutta 45 Most advanced and ideal for analogue systems

Rung-Kutta 45
Stiff Adam with a fixed step integration Used for discrete systems
Euler The most basic and used for slow varying discrete systems

Ability to plot and display graphs

2D, 3D visualisation
Simplicity for programming
Compatibility with other software

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Simulation Tools Types

Matlab/Simulink
Orcad/Pspice
VPI
Mathcad
OptSim 4.0: simulation and design of
advanced fiber optic communication
systems
OptiSystem: large scale system software
OptiFDTD
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Matlab/Simulink
A high-performance language for technical
computing
Integrates computation, visualization, and
programming in an easy-to-use environment
Typical uses include:

Math and computation

Algorithm development
Data acquisition
Modelling, simulation, and prototyping
Data analysis, exploration, and visualization
Scientific and engineering graphics
Application development, including graphical user
interface building
Compatible with excel, uses Maple and is compatible
with other software packages such as C, C++, VPI, etc.
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Orcad/Pspice
To model circuits with mixed analogue and
digital devices
Software-based circuit breadboard for test and
refinement
Can perform:
AC, DC, and transient analyses
Parametric, Monte Carlo, and sensitivity/worst-case
analyses i.e. circuit behaviour in a changing
environment
Digital worst-case timing analysis : to resolve timing
problems occurring with only certain combinations
of slow and fast signal transmissions, etc.

Not compatible with excel

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Mathcad
A desktop software for performing and documenting
engineering and scientific calculations
Equations and expressions are displayed graphically
(WYSIWYG)
Capabilities :

Solvingdifferential equations - several possible numerical methods

Graphing functions in two or three dimensions
Symbolic calculations including solving systems of equations
Vectorandmatrixoperations includingeigenvaluesandeigenvectors
Curve fitting
Finding roots ofpolynomialsand functions
Statistical functions and probability distributions
Calculations in whichunitsare bound to quantities

One cant use symbolic parameters only numerical

parameters
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OptiSystem
Is used for
designing, testing and optimization of virtually
any type of optical links in the physical layers
based on a large collection of realistic models
for components and sub-systems

OptiFDTD (finite-difference time-domain)

propagation of optical fields through nano- to
micro-scaled devices by directly solving
Maxwells equations numerically

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OptiSystem contd.
OptiBPM
Based on the beam propagation method
(BPM)
a semi-analytical technique that solves an
approximation of the wave equation

Waveguide other similar optical devices

Light propagation predominantly in one
direction over large distances
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Virtual Photonics Inc.

Used in optical networks and optical
devices modelling
Support C and Matlab
Will talk about this in my second
lecturer!

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Case Studies - MATLAB

Message signal
Source
Encoder

Source

Channel code
word
Channel
Encoder

Modulator

A typical communication
system block diagram
Source
Decoder

User

Estimate of
message signal
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Channel
Decoder

Modulated
Transmitted
signal

Channel

Demodulator

Estimate of
channel code

Received
signal
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Case Study 1 - AM/FM communication

system s
Aim: To simulate a communication system link
Tasks:
Channel modeling
Comparing received and transmitted signals
System performance evaluation
System optimization
Final system design

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AM/FM Simulation - System

Parameters
Know parameters

Carrier frequency, and power

Signal bandwidth
Modulation index
Channel bandwidth and loss
Link length
Transmitter/receiver antenna type and gain

Performance parameters
Output signal-to-noise vs carrier to noise ratio
System linearity
Harmonic distortions
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FM Simulation Block Diagram

Message

FM
modulator

Amplifier
Amplifier

Transmitter
Transmitter

Channel
Channel

Recovered Low pass

Low pass
filter
filter
Message

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FM
FM
demodulator
demodulator

Amplifier
Amplifier

Receiver
Receiver

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FM Simulation - Matlab-Simulink
Provided that the mathematics underlying each block is fully
appreciated, one could use any programming languages
including high level computer languages C, C++, Java or
scientific programming languages Matlab, MathCAD ,
Mathematica, Octave to name a few
Matlab/Simulink
One of the most popular simulation tool available
Simulink is more user friendly for beginners as there are many
drag and drop block functions.
However Simulink also sometimes limits flexibility to users.

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FM Simulation - Results
Transmitted signa (Tx)l

A m p litu d e

message

0.5

-0.5

0.5
Amplitude

-1
0

Demodulated Signal (Rm)

30

-0.5

Time

-1

Time

A m p lit u d e

20

-20

-30

0.5

-0.5

0.5

-1
-1.5

Time

Recovered message (mr)

Time

Am plitude

A m plitude

0
-10

Received signal (Rx)

1.5

10

0
-0.5
-1
0

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Time

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FM Simulation - Performance
Evaluation

The easiest way to evaluate the performance is by visual

inspections
For example, one can hardly differentiate between the transited
message and recover message in the previous example
Message signal at different SNRs is shown below- observe the
improvement in the performance with increasing SNRs
10 dB
15 dB
20 dB

0.5

-0.5

-1

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Time

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FM Simulation - Performance
Evaluation
Visual inspection is the simplest and in many cases
gives an insight to the system, BUT it is very error
prone
Alternative method of analysis should be used
Considered error signal defined as: error = (m - mr)2
The error signal at SNRs of 15, 20 and 40 is shown
-3
below
x 10

1
The performance
difference between the SNRs of 15 and 20 is
15 dB
apparent
20 dB
40dB

error

0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2

0
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Time

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FM Simulation - Performance
Evaluation
Simulation software may provide many interesting results, but

the expertise and experience of the user play's a major role

In previous plot - very little difference between 20 dB and 40
dB
An experienced user may choose the log-scale to plot error to
gain more information, shown below
Compared to the pervious plot, difference in performance
for 20
db and 40 dB is clear from this plot
-20
15 dB
20 dB
40 dB

-30

Error (dB)

-40
-50
-60
-70
-80
-90
-100
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Time

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Case study 2- Digital

Communications

Depending upon the channel, receiver may

incorporated other signal processing tools like
equalizing filter, low pass filter and so on
The output bits are compared to the transmitted to bit
to calculated the error
The bit error rate (BER) is the metric used in all digital
communication system to compare and evaluate the
system performance
BER depends on the SNR
1 (valid only for particular
BER
erfc SNR
signalling format):

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Modelling Approach
A discrete model based on mathematical analysis is
generated and model using the simulation software
Discrete-time equivalent system of digital communication
system is defined as:
ri = Eb+ni
if bi=1

r i = ni

if bi=0

ri is the sampled output

Eb is the energy per bit and ni is the additive white
Gaussian noise
Performance evaluation:
bit error rate
eye-diagram

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Digital Systems Matlab Simulink

1.2

Amplitude

0.2

0.1

0.8

0.2
0

Time

Sampling points

0.4

-0.1

MF Output

0.6

-0.2

Transmitted signal

0
-0.2

40
20

Power Spectrum Density (dB)

0
-20
-40
-60
-80
-100
-120

0.1

0.2

0.3

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0.4
0.5
0.6
Normalised frequency

0.7

0.8

0.9

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Digital Simulation - Performance

Evaluation
BER of different modulation techniques for indoor optical wireless system

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Digital Simulation - Notes

To properly model the system, it is necessary to understand
mathematics involved in each and every module
Code are written to approximate the mathematical
equations. The code are grouped together and put as a
block for simple user interface
Example: Matlab codes for noise signal:

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Digital Simulation Matlab Codes

Fixed and variable parameters
clear
clc
close all
fs = 6.0e+6;
%sampling frequency 6 MHz
ts = 1/fs;
%Sampling time
fc = ;
%clock signal frequency
ac:;
%clock signal peak amplitude
n = 2*(6*fs/fc); %Maximum number of points w.r.t the 6 cycles
of clock signal fc
nc = 6;
%Number cycls of clock signal to be shown
tmax= nc*tc;
%Maximum number of point in 6 cycles of fc
fmax = (2*n*fc/fs);
%Maximum frequency range
final = ts*(n-1);
% maximum time
t = 0:ts:tmax;
%time vector for sketching waveform in time
domain

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Digital Simulation Matlab Codes

Data signal generated from the Clock Signal
L length (sq);
%All the values of clock signal is assigned to a new variable l
da = sq;
%Set initial values
out=1;
temp=1;
for i=1:L-1
if sq(i)== -2.5 & sq(i+1)== 2.5
%Reverse output voltage polarity
temp= out * -1;
out=temp;
end
%Change value of out to +/-1
if out>0
out=1;
else
out= -1;
end
da(i)=out; %data signal at half the clock frequency
end
%Set value of final element of da
da(L)=out;
%Plot data signal
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Optical Wireless Communication

Abundance of unregulated bandwidth - 200 THz in the 700-1500
nm range

No multipath fading - Intensity modulation and direct

detection
What
does
It
Offer
?

High data rate In particular line of sight (in and out

doors)
Improved wavelength reuse capability
Flexibility in installation
Secure transmission
Flexibility - Deployment in a wide variety of network architectures.
Installation on roof to roof, window to window, window to roof or
wall to wall.

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Access Network Bottleneck

(Source:
NTT)

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Free Space Optics

SIGNAL
PROCESSING

PHOTO
DETECTOR

DRIVER
CIRCUIT

Cloud
Rain
Smoke
Gases
Temperature
variations
Fog and aerosol

The transmission of optical radiation through the atmosphere obeys

the Beer-Lambertss law:
Preceive = Ptransmit * exp(-L)
: Attenuation coefficient
POINT A

This equation fundamentally ties FSO to the

atmospheric weather conditions

POINT B

Link Range L
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Case Study 3: Optical Wireless

Systems
DC bias
m(t)

d(t)
Data in Serial/parallel
converter

.
.

Subcarrier
modulator

.
.

m(t)+bo
Summing
circuit

Optical
transmitter

Atmospheric
channel

ir

d(t)

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.
.

Parallel/serial
Data out
converter

Subcarrier
demodulator

Spatial
diversity
combiner

Photodetector
array

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Subcarrier Modulation Transmitter

m (t )

A j g (t ) cos(wcj t j )
j 1

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Subcarrier Modulation - Receiver

SNRele

( IRA) 2

2 2

Photo-current

ir (t ) R I (1 m(t )) n(t )
R = Responsivity, I = Average power, =
Modulation index, m(t) = Subcarrier signal
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Error Performance Bit Error Perform

BPSK BER against SNR for M-ary-PSK for log intensity variance = 0.52
DPSK
BPSK
16-PSK
8-PSK

-2

10

10

BER

BPSK based subcarrier

modulation is the most
power efficient

Log intensity

-4

variance = 0.52

-6

10

BER

-8

10

2
Q SNRe log 2 M sin( / M ) p ( I )dI
log 2 M 0

-10

10

20

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SNR

(dB)

30

35

40

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Receiver Models
Data in

TX

Channel

Noise

Data out

Slicer

MMSE
Data out

Slicer

Equaliser

MF

Data out

Slicer

NN

CWT

Wavelet - NN

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Wavelet-AI Receiver - Advantages

and Disadvantages
Complexity
- many parameters & computation power

High sampling rates

- technology limited

Speed
- long simulation times on average machines

Similar performance to other techniques

Data rate independent
- data rate changes do not affect structure (just re-train)

Relatively easy to implement with other pulse

modulation techniques
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Wavelet-AI Receiver

Wavelet

SNR Vs. the RMS delay spread/bit duration

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Final Remarks
Simulation software provide scientist and
engineers with additional tools to
implement, assess and modify ideas with a
press of a button
Detailed mathematical understanding is
essential
High speed and parallel processing is the
way forward
Should never be a substitute to real
practical systems
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Thank you for your attention !

Any questions?

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Acknowledgements
To R Kharel, S Rajbhandari, W Popoola,
and other PhD students,
Northumbria University and CEIS
School for Research Grants

WBU- India 09
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Z Ghassemlooy